Consider a rock dropped onto a trampoline that bounces up and down.
Is the mechanical energy of the rock conserved?
- 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.