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Physics - Gravitational potential question

If an object (say a spacecraft) is falling to Earth on a return journey, it's potential becomes more negative.
Does a reduction in Gravitational potential (becoming more negative) mean that work is being done ON the spacecraft by the gravitational field of Earth ?

Reply 1

JohnnyDavidson

Don't pay too much attention to the '-' sign on potential, it's just there to make it easier, so you can call 0V at infinity, rather than a different number for different objects.

But yes if it's falling to earth, it's GPE is being converted to kinetic, so work is being done by the gravitational field