Changes

A '''conservative field''' or '''conservative vector field''' (not related to political conservatism) is a field with a [[curl]] of zero:

A '''conservative field''' or '''conservative vector field''' (not related to political conservatism) is a field with a [[curl]] of zero:

:<math>\nabla \times \vec V = (\ \ \frac{\partial V_z}{\partial y} - \frac{\partial V_y}{\partial z},\ \ \ \ \frac{\partial V_x}{\partial z} - \frac{\partial V_z}{\partial x},\ \ \ \ \frac{\partial V_y}{\partial x} - \frac{\partial V_x}{\partial y}\ \ ) = 0</math>

:<math>\nabla \times \vec V = \bigg(\ \ \frac{\partial V_z}{\partial y} - \frac{\partial V_y}{\partial z},\ \ \ \ \frac{\partial V_x}{\partial z} - \frac{\partial V_z}{\partial x},\ \ \ \ \frac{\partial V_y}{\partial x} - \frac{\partial V_x}{\partial y}\ \ \bigg) = 0</math>

Its significance is that the line integral of a conservative field, such as a physical force, is independent of the path chosen.  In physics, this means that the potential energy (which is determined by a conservative force field) of a particle at a given position is independent of how a particle was moved to its position.

Its significance is that the line integral of a conservative field, such as a physical force, is independent of the path chosen.  In physics, this means that the potential energy (which is determined by a conservative force field) of a particle at a given position is independent of how a particle was moved to its position.