Written by the Fiveable Content Team โข Last updated September 2025
Verified for the 2026 exam
Verified for the 2026 examโขWritten by the Fiveable Content Team โข Last updated September 2025
Definition
The conservation of kinetic energy principle states that if only conservative forces are acting on an object, its total kinetic energy remains constant.
Conservative Forces: Forces that can store mechanical energy, like gravity or elastic force. When only conservative forces act on an object and work is done, the objectโs total mechanical energy (kinetic + potential) remains constant.