Consider a projectile that was just launched from a cannon.
Ignoring air resistance, is mechanical energy conserved
while the projectile is in flight?
- Yes--there are no nonconservative forces present.
- Yes--nonconservative forces are present but do no work.
- Yes--nonconservative forces are present and do work,
but the work done by some exactly cancels the work done by
others.
- No, mechanical energy is not conserved.