Why Does a Box on a Building Have Potential Energy?

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A box on top of a building possesses potential energy due to its elevated position in a gravitational field, regardless of how it got there. This potential energy exists because the box has the capacity to fall, which would convert that energy into kinetic energy. The concept of potential energy is tied to the object's height above a reference point, typically the ground. Thus, even if the box was not manually lifted, its location still allows it to have potential energy. The energy comes from the gravitational force acting on the box.
sameeralord
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Hello everyone,

If there is a box on top of a building, why does it have potential energy? What I mean is no one lifted it there(so this can't transfer into potential energy) and it was always there, where does the energy come from? Is keeping things againt gravity give you potential energy? Thank you :smile:
 
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sameeralord said:
If there is a box on top of a building, why does it have potential energy?
Because it can fall and gain kinetic energy.
 

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