-Conservative

and
Non-Conservative Forces

-Changes in Mechanical
Energy in the Presence
of Friction
AP Physics C
Mrs. Coyle
 What happens when friction is
present?
• When friction is present, the work
done by the frictional force W=fd is
transferred to heat energy.

• The sum of the potential and kinetic

energy of the system is not conserved.

• Friction is a “non-conservative” force.

 A Force is “Non-Conservative”
if:
• “the work it does on an object that moves
between two points depends on the path
taken.”

• “the work it does on an object that moves

through a round trip is not zero.”

• Example: friction, tension, normal force,

propulsion forces.
A Force is “Conservative” if:
• “ the work this force does on an object
that moves between two points depends
only on the position of these two points
and not on the path.”

• “the work this force does on an object that

moves through a round trip is zero.”

• Example: gravity, force of a spring.

 In the presence of friction,
the mechanical energy of
the system will decrease.
• The change in mechanical energy will be
negative and will equal the work done
by friction.

• ΔEmech =Emech final -Emech initial =-fd

 Example 1 (#)21
A 4 kg particle moves from the origin to
position C, having coordinates x=5m and
y=5m. One force on the particle is the
gravitational force acting in the negative
y direction. Using W= F·r = Frcosθ,
calculate the work done in going from O
to C along a)OAC, b) OBC, c) OC.
(See Fig. 1 on next slide.)
Your results should be all identical. Why?
(Ans: -196J)
 Fig.1

B C(5m,5m)

O A
 Example 2 (#31)
The coefficient of friction between the
3kg block and the surface is 0.4. The
system starts from rest. What is the
speed of the 5kg ball when it has
fallen 1.5m?

Ans: 3.74m/s
 Example 3(#38)

• A 75.0kg skysurfer is falling straight

down with a terminal speed of
60m/s. Determine the rate at which
the skysurfer-Earth system is losing
mechanical energy.

(Ans: dE mech =mgv= 44.1kW)

dt