Final answer:
GRAVITATIONAL potential energy is influenced by the mass of the object, the height above the ground, and the acceleration due to gravity. Other factors, like hardness or stretch, are irrelevant to this type of energy. Gravitational energy can be transferred into a spring, leading to a different form of potential energy, whereas energy losses can occur due to friction and other factors.
Step-by-step explanation:
The factors that influence GRAVITATIONAL potential energy include the mass of the object (m), the height (h) above the ground, and the acceleration due to gravity (g). The potential energy is calculated using the formula P.E. = m * g * h. This means that as an object's mass or its height above the ground increases, so does its gravitational potential energy. Hardness, the amount of stretch, and other unrelated factors do not affect gravitational potential energy.
When it comes to an object attached to a spring, the gravitational energy that goes into the spring becomes potential energy stored in the spring, which is described by Hooke's law. The energy conversion also involves losses due to friction, sound, and, in case the object hits a surface, energy lost in deformations. The sum of the potential and kinetic energy within the context is the mechanical energy of the system.