Complete the statement. Assume that Gordon's mass did not change.
The gravitational potential energy stored between Gordon and Earth () as he hiked toward the summit.

 - increased
 - stayed the same
 - decreased
Think about how the distance between Gordon and the center of Earth changed.
The summit of the mountain was higher than the point where Gordon started hiking. As he hiked toward the summit, the distance between Gordon and the center of Earth increased. So, the gravitational potential energy stored between Gordon and Earth increased as he hiked toward the summit.