Question

A point mass m is placed at a distance R from the surface of a solid sphere of mass m and radius R. The gravitational potential energy of this system of the point mass and the sphere is

Answer 1

U= -Gmm/2R

Potential energy between two objects is given by U=-GMm/r

Where G is universal gravitational constant

M and m are the two masses of objects

And r is distance between those two objects .

So here, wo have the masses as m and m .Putting in the formula we get the answer.