Gravitational force is the attractive force between two masses, dependent on their masses and the distance separating them, governing celestial and terrestrial motions.
Class 11 Physics explores work, energy and power, focusing on definitions, calculations and applications essential for understanding mechanics in the CBSE curriculum.
To prove that gravitational force is conservative, we would need to show that the work done by this force in moving any object between two points is path-independent. The work depends only on the initial and final positions of the object.
Gravitational force is exerted on an object by the mass of the Earth, pulling it toward the center. In the case of vertical motion, the work done by gravity can be understood in terms of a change in height. If an object moves from a higher to a lower position, gravity does positive work; from a low to a high position, the work done by gravity is negative, since gravity opposes the motion.
This work can be interpreted in terms of potential energy associated with the object’s height. As the object moves, its gravitational potential energy changes, reflecting the work done by gravity. The important point is that the work done depends only on the difference in heights between the starting and ending points, not on the path taken.
Since the work done by gravitational force is path-independent, and we can associate this work with a potential energy function, we conclude that gravitational force must be conservative. This has very important implications in many fields, from mechanics to energy conservation.
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