A conservative force is a force with the property that the work done in moving a particle between two points is independent of the path taken. Equivalently, if a particle travels in a closed loop, the net work done (the sum of the force acting along the path multiplied by the distance travelled) by a conservative force is zero.
A conservative force is dependent only on the position of the object. If a force is conservative, it is possible to assign a numerical value for the potential at any point. When an object moves from one location to another, the force changes the potential energy of the object by an amount that does not depend on the path taken. If the force is not conservative, then defining a scalar potential is not possible, because taking different paths would lead to conflicting potential differences between the start and end points.
Gravity is an example of a conservative force, while friction is an example of a non-conservative force.
Read more about Conservative Force: Informal Definition, Path Independence, Mathematical Description, Nonconservative Forces
Famous quotes containing the words conservative and/or force:
“I never dared to be radical when young
For fear it would make me conservative when old.”
—Robert Frost (1874–1963)
“The mind is the terriblest force in the world, father,
Because, in chief, it, only, can defend
Against itself. At its mercy, we depend
Upon it.”
—Wallace Stevens (1879–1955)