can someone please explain conservative and non-conservative force in "simple enhlish"?

Answer 1

A conservative force is path independant and does zero net work on a particle that travels along any closed path in an isolated system.

So for example, gravity is a conservative force, meaning if say pick a ball from the floor and place it on the desk, bringing it up vertically, there is no difference in in the work done by picking the ball up and walking around the room a few times whilst moving you hand around and then placing th ball on the desk. No net work is done on the ball regardless of your choice of path.

Whereas a non-conservative force is path dependant. So the work done going from point A to B is dependant on yo choice of path. Friction is a non-conservative force