Concept:At equilibrium, an object in any field (gravitational, electric, or magnetic) always settles where its potential energy is lowest.
Explanation:Potential energy is the energy stored due to position in a field.
For a stable equilibrium, a small displacement creates a restoring force that brings the object back to its original position.
This restoring force acts in the direction of decreasing potential energy.
Mathematically, equilibrium occurs when the net force is zero:
F=−drdU=0.
Here,
U represents potential energy and
r is position.
However, stable equilibrium specifically requires the potential energy to be at a minimum, not maximum.
Maximum potential energy corresponds to unstable equilibrium, where the object moves away after displacement.
Gravitational potential energy is
U=mgh, and an object falls to lower
h, reducing
U, until it reaches the minimum accessible height.
Thus, the equilibrium position of objects in any field corresponds to minimum potential energy.
Answer:C. minimum potential energy