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JasonAdams
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Can somebody please help me understand conservative and non-conservative forces? My teacher didn't really spend too much time teaching it. Can somebody explain it in the simplest terms possible?
JasonAdams said:Can somebody please help me understand conservative and non-conservative forces? My teacher didn't really spend too much time teaching it. Can somebody explain it in the simplest terms possible?
xnick said:In addition, the potential energy can only be defined for the (minus) work of a conservative force.
neutrino said:Isn't that just a convention?
Conservative forces are those that do not dissipate energy and can be defined by a potential energy function, while non-conservative forces are those that dissipate energy and cannot be defined by a potential energy function.
Examples of conservative forces include gravity, electric forces, and magnetic forces. Examples of non-conservative forces include friction, air resistance, and tension in a rope.
Conservative forces do not change the total mechanical energy of an object, but can change its potential and kinetic energy. Non-conservative forces, on the other hand, can decrease the total mechanical energy of an object by doing work against it.
No, a force can only be either conservative or non-conservative. A force cannot dissipate energy and have a potential energy function at the same time.
A force is conservative if it meets two criteria: 1) it does not depend on the path taken by the object, only on the initial and final positions, and 2) the work done by the force is independent of the path taken. If a force does not meet these criteria, it is non-conservative.