Complete the statement. Assume that the balloon's mass did not change.
The gravitational potential energy stored between the balloon and Earth () as the balloon floated toward the sky.

 - stayed the same
 - increased
 - decreased
Think about how the distance between the balloon and the center of Earth changed.
The balloon moved higher after its string slipped out of Irma's hand. As the balloon floated toward the sky, the distance between the balloon and the center of Earth increased. So, the gravitational potential energy stored between the balloon and Earth increased as the balloon floated toward the sky.