A conservative force is a type of force that, when applied to a system, does not result in any net work being done on the system. This means that the total mechanical energy of the system, which includes both kinetic and potential energy, remains constant.
Potential energy is the energy that an object possesses due to its position or configuration in a system. It is often referred to as stored energy, as it has the potential to do work when released.
Conservative forces are directly related to potential energy. In a conservative force field, the potential energy of an object depends only on its position and not on the path it takes to get there. This means that an object's potential energy can be determined by its position in the field without considering its previous motion.
Potential energy is typically represented by the letter U and is measured in joules (J). It can be calculated using the equation U = mgh, where m is the mass of the object, g is the acceleration due to gravity, and h is the height of the object above a reference point.
Some examples of conservative forces include gravity, elastic forces, and electric forces. In each of these cases, the work done by the force is independent of the path taken, and the potential energy of the system can be determined solely by the position of the object in the force field.