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Glite Dictionary
⚡ Not conserving energy 🎲 Risk-taking 🔄 Favoring change
nonconservative

nonconservative

8.6
A force that removes energy from a system so the energy cannot be fully recovered
  • adjective
  • /ˌnɒnkənˈsɜːrvətɪv/
  • Specialized
translation icon : no conservativo
  • Friction is a nonconservative force because it dissipates energy as heat.

Examples

  • In physics, air resistance is considered a nonconservative force since it removes energy from the system.

  • Unlike gravity, a nonconservative force does not allow energy to be fully recovered.

  • The nonconservative forces in this system cause energy loss.

  • In physics, nonconservative forces are crucial to understanding energy transfer.

  • Friction is a nonconservative force because it dissipates energy as heat.

  • In physics, air resistance is considered a nonconservative force since it removes energy from the system.

  • Unlike gravity, a nonconservative force does not allow energy to be fully recovered.

Synonyms

dissipative
vsnonconservative
  • Specialized
9.1

Losing energy, often as heat, to the area around it

applies to forces or processes that fail to conserve other physical quantities

How Conservative

nonconservative
  • Specialized
8.6
dissipative
  • Specialized
9.1

Surface Forms

nonconservative positive

Morphology

nonconservative = conservative (semi-transparent) = non + conservative

Form is clearly 'non-' + 'conservative', but the technical physics sense of 'conservative' (conserves energy) is specialized and not known by many learners.

Etymology

Nonconservative comes from the parts non- 'not' and conservative, from conserve 'to keep'. In physics a nonconservative force does not 'keep' energy in the system but turns it into heat or other forms, so the energy cannot be fully recovered.