WannabeNewton said:What makes you say a non-conservative force has no direction? All forces have direction. A conservative force is one for which there exists an associated potential function.
Conservative forces are those that do not dissipate energy and are path independent, meaning that the work done by the force is only dependent on the initial and final positions of an object. Examples include gravitational and elastic forces. Nonconservative forces are those that dissipate energy and are path dependent, meaning that the work done by the force is dependent on the path taken by an object. Examples include friction and air resistance.
Conservative forces do not change an object's total mechanical energy, as they only transfer energy between potential and kinetic forms. Nonconservative forces, on the other hand, decrease an object's total mechanical energy as they dissipate energy in the form of heat or sound.
Yes, conservative forces can do work on an object by changing its potential energy into kinetic energy, or vice versa. However, the work done by conservative forces does not result in a net change in an object's total mechanical energy.
The path independence of work done and the conservation of mechanical energy are the main factors that determine whether a force is conservative or nonconservative. If a force follows the principle of conservation of energy, it is considered a conservative force.
To determine if a force is conservative or nonconservative, you can calculate the work done by the force on an object along different paths. If the work done is the same for all paths, the force is conservative. If the work done varies depending on the path taken, the force is nonconservative.