How does the potential energy of a system change if you elevate an object higher without changing its mass?

When you elevate an object higher in a gravitational field, its potential energy increases. This is because gravitational potential energy is directly related to the height of the object in relation to the reference point. The formula for gravitational potential energy is given by ( U = mgh ), where ( U ) is the potential energy, ( m ) is the mass of the object, ( g ) is the acceleration due to gravity, and ( h ) is the height above the reference point.

As long as the mass of the object remains unchanged, increasing the height ( h ) results in a proportional increase in potential energy. Therefore, as you raise the object, the potential energy increases due to the increased height. The energy change is not dependent on the mass changing, but solely on the change in height in this context.

So, when the height of the object is raised without altering its mass, the potential energy of the system indeed increases.