Which variable does not affect the potential energy of an object?

Potential energy is determined by the position of an object in a gravitational field and is typically calculated using the formula: Potential Energy (PE) = mass (m) × height (h) × acceleration due to gravity (g).

The first three variables—mass, height, and acceleration due to gravity—are all critical components of this equation. Mass refers to the amount of matter in the object, height measures how high the object is relative to a reference point (usually ground level), and the acceleration due to gravity is a constant that reflects the strength of the gravitational field in which the object resides, typically approximated as 9.81 m/s² on Earth.

Conversely, speed is not a factor in calculating potential energy. While speed does relate to kinetic energy (the energy of motion), it does not influence the potential energy of an object, which is solely concerned with its position and gravitational effects. Therefore, speed does not alter the potential energy value derived from an object's mass, height, and the gravitational field strength the object is in.