Final answer:
The potential energy of a 0.20-kg particle can differ based on the motion and forces acting on it, such as gravitational potential energy for vertical or celestial motions, and it can be affected by other forms of potential energy when moving in different paths.
Step-by-step explanation:
The potential energy of a 0.20-kg particle moving along depends on the type of motion and the forces involved. For example: (a) a straight line: The potential energy here might be due to gravity (if the motion is vertical) or due to other forms of conservative forces. (b) a circular path: This could involve centripetal forces, and if gravity is the only force, this can represent celestial bodies in orbit for which potential energy is calculated with respect to a center of mass.
(c) a parabolic trajectory: This is typical of projectiles on Earth, where the potential energy is due to Earth’s gravitational field. (d) an elliptical orbit: This describes celestial bodies such as planets or comets around the Sun, where their potential energy is also related to their position relative to the central mass attraction due to gravity.
To exemplify with specific cases: A negatively charged massive particle in an electric field between two plates will follow a parabolic trajectory, either a rightward-curving or a leftward-curving parabola, given the influence of the electric field on the charge. Newtons law of universal gravitation explains the paths of planets moving around the sun, which is typically an elliptical orbit.