All Questions
12
questions
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Conditions for a force to be conservative - Does the second condition imply the first? [duplicate]
John Taylor's Classical Mechanics says this...
I was wondering if the second condition already implies the first? I mean, are there situations where the first condition is violated even though the ...
0
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2
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102
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How can work be a function of position when non-conservative forces don't act the same way at each point?
My textbook and wiki/online articles all claim that work is given by the integral
$$W=\int_\gamma\vec{F}\boldsymbol{\cdot}\text{d}\vec{s}$$
where the $\text{d}\vec{s}$ is some infinitesimal step along ...
0
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1
answer
76
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${}$Conservative and Non-Conservative Forces
For work done by conservative forces ($W = F.S$), we consider $S$ as the displacement and not the actual path travelled. However for non conservative forces we consider the total path length and not ...
4
votes
2
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929
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Proving if a force is conservative and non-conservative
recently I have studied conservative forces and non-conservative forces in halliday book and while doing some exercise I saw some questions asking for proving if a force is conservative so after doing ...
0
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1
answer
376
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Why is $f = -\frac{du}{dx}$?
I am studying Newtonian Mechanics and I am familiar with single variable calculus.
I came across the concept of conservative and non conservative forces and potential energy. Here is what I understand:...
0
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1
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852
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Relationship between conservative and non-conservative forces with internal and external forces
Are there any kinds of relationship betweeen conservative and non-conservative forces with internal and external forces? If yes,please explain in detail.
20
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3
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4k
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Conditions for a force to be conservative
Taylor's classical mechanics ,chapter 4, states:
A force is conservative,if and only if it satisfies two conditions:
$\vec{F}$ is a function of only the position. i.e $\vec{F}=\vec{F}(\vec{r})$.
The ...
2
votes
3
answers
668
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Why can a force field only be conservative if it is spherically symmetric?
I saw in my textbook that a field can only be conservative if it happens to be spherically symmetric. Why is this so? Is there a good proof for this?
6
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4
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1k
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All central forces are conservative forces, but are all conservative forces central forces?
I have just been introduced to the concept of central forces, and to the fact that they are per definition conservative forces. I have looked up several examples of central forces (gravity, electric, ...
4
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1
answer
139
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Conservative force definition [duplicate]
Classical Mechanics, by John Taylor defines a conservative force $F$ as a force that satisfies:
$F$ depends only on the particle's position and no other variables.
Work done by $F$ is the same for ...
5
votes
1
answer
352
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Understanding conservative forces
I'm trying to better understand conservative forces. I have a decent intuitive idea of what they are, but I've recently learned the mathematical rigor behind it which has made me have some questions. ...
0
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2
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113
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A More General Potential Energy
It occurred to me this morning that the notion of work and of spatial potential energy can be generalized to a more abstract form. In particular, work can be defined in terms of an abstract force ...