Which of the following mechanical qualities is NOT dependent on velocity?

Potential energy is not dependent on velocity because it is determined solely by an object's position relative to a reference point and the gravitational force acting on it. For example, gravitational potential energy is calculated based on the height of an object above the ground and its mass, as described by the equation PE = mgh, where m is mass, g is the acceleration due to gravity, and h is height. This means that as long as the object's height remains constant, its potential energy will not change, regardless of how quickly the object is moving.

In contrast, kinetic energy, momentum, and velocity are all explicitly defined in relation to an object's speed. Kinetic energy is directly proportional to the square of the velocity (KE = 1/2 mv²), momentum is directly proportional to velocity (p = mv), and velocity itself is the measure of how fast an object moves. Thus, only potential energy remains unaffected by the object's velocity.