University⏱ 5 min
Conservative Fields
Why work is path-independent
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Conservative Fields & Path Independence
Field Type
Work along paths
StraightW = 0.000
Arc upW = 0.000
Arc downW = 0.000
F = ∇φ ⟹ ∫_C F·dr = φ(B) − φ(A)
💡 Key insight
In a conservative field (F = ∇φ), work depends ONLY on start and end points – not the path. Like gravity: work depends only on height difference. Switch to non-conservative to see the difference.