My teacher said that a box 1kg leave up by a man 50m, then he just said the potential energy= work done , so PE=500 J. The explanation may be a bit vague that cause me think of the work done is by human efforts against the gravitational force. Contradiction arises as F by human not = mg, otherwise, no movement or continuous movement.
Here is my illustration. I think that after a certain distance rose, if it is released, the earth pull F=mg , this is the source of the work done.
And where have the human efforts gone? Some stored in object as PE, where are the others, KE?
and
1.Potential energy is defined as the work done by gravity, right?
2.Energy gain refers to potential energy gains,right? but no kinetic energy gain.