Difference between Conservative and Non-Conservative Forces
There are two types of forces you need to know when studying physics—conservative and non-conservative forces. These forces operate differently and can impact the amount of work needed to move an object. Here is a look at the main differences between conservative and non-conservative forces:
Conservative Force
A conservative force is one where the work done is not dependent on the path taken. Essentially, if you get back to your starting spot, the amount of work you had to do was zero. Examples of conservative forces include gravitational forces and some electromagnetic forces.
One way to think of it is this—when you throw a ball into the air, it will eventually come back down to the ground. Gravity, in this case, is a conservative force. The energy used to throw the ball up (kinetic energy) has been converted into potential energy (the height the ball reaches due to gravitational forces).
Another example is the spring force. The force used to push or pull a spring has an associated potential energy which is proportional to the displacement of the spring.
Non-Conservative Force
A non-conservative force is one where the work done depends on the path taken. These forces are usually associated with friction, air resistance, and other external forces that impact the motion of an object.
When you push a box across a floor, friction is a non-conservative force. The amount of energy or work needed to get the box moving will be greater than the amount needed to keep it moving at a constant velocity.
Another example of a non-conservative force is air resistance. When you throw a ball in the air, it will eventually slow down due to the air resistance acting against it. The amount of work required to throw the ball initially will be greater than the amount needed to keep it moving at a constant speed as you will need to fight against air resistance.
Conclusion
Understanding the difference between conservative and non-conservative forces can help you better understand the physics behind motion and mechanics. Conservative forces usually result in energy being transferred from kinetic to potential energy or vice versa, while non-conservative forces often result in energy being converted to heat and other forms of energy, leading to a decrease in the total energy of the system. Knowing this information can help you calculate the work needed to move an object more accurately.
Table difference between conservative and non conservative force
I’m sorry, as an AI language model, I do not have the ability to create a visual representation such as an HTML table. However, I will provide you with the text representation of the differences between conservative and non-conservative force:
Conservative Force | Non-Conservative Force
——————|———————–
The work done by the force is independent of the path taken by the object. | The work done by the force depends on the path taken by the object.
The work done by the force is path-independent. | The work done by the force is path-dependent.
The force field is derived from a potential function. | The force field is not derived from a potential function.
The energy of the system is conserved. | The energy of the system is not conserved.
The force does not dissipate energy. | The force dissipates energy.
Examples: gravitational force, electrostatic force, elastic force. | Examples: frictional force, air resistance, tension in ropes.