1.5 Non-conservative System of Forces
A force is said to be non-conservative when work done against it is not conserved by the body which is moved by the force. A common example of non-conservative type of force is frictional force. When a body is moved against friction, work is required to overcome friction. Friction is always an opposing force, and the work done against friction depends not only on the initial and final positions of the body but also on the length of the path traversed.
What happens to the amount of work done against friction? This work evidently is not recoverable. Work is energy and as such it cannot be lost. It is found that heat is generated when two bodies are rubbed against each other. It is a natural conclusion that ...
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