The gravitational potential energy is a type of potential energy that depends on the height and is associated with the gravitational force. This type of energy will depend on the height of an object in relation to some point of reference (which is usually the ground), the mass and the force of gravity.
The relationship between gravitational potential energy (Epg), weight and height is given by the following equation,
Epg = weight x height = mass x acceleration of gravity x height
From this formula it can be observed that by decreasing the height of an object in relation to a surface, the potential energy of the body decreases, since the gravitational potential energy is inversely proportional to the height. This is the reason why the amount of potential energy decreased as the puck falls.
