Difference between revisions of "Conservative force"
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| − | Conservative [[force | + | '''Conservative [[force]]s''' are those that possess certain properties<ref>Serway and Beichner, ''Physics for Scientists and Engineers'', Fifth Edition</ref>: |
1. The [[work]] it does on a particle is independent of its [[trajectory]]. | 1. The [[work]] it does on a particle is independent of its [[trajectory]]. | ||
| Line 11: | Line 11: | ||
Examples of Conservative Forces: | Examples of Conservative Forces: | ||
| − | [[ | + | * [[Gravitational Force]] |
| − | + | * [[Hooke's Law|Force performed by a spring]] | |
| − | [[Hooke's Law|Force performed by a spring]] | ||
== References == | == References == | ||
| − | + | {{reflist}} | |
[[Category: Physics]] | [[Category: Physics]] | ||
[[Category: Mechanics]] | [[Category: Mechanics]] | ||
Revision as of 00:29, April 9, 2008
Conservative forces are those that possess certain properties[1]:
1. The work it does on a particle is independent of its trajectory.
2. The work done on a particle that moves along a closed trajectory (where the initial and final positions are the same, or di = df) = 0) is zero.
3. The force can be written as the negative of the gradient of a potential energy function, i.e. <math>\vec F = - \nabla U </math>.
When the only forces present in a system are conservative, mechanical energy is conserved.
Examples of Conservative Forces:
References
- ↑ Serway and Beichner, Physics for Scientists and Engineers, Fifth Edition