Concerning the work done by a conservative force, which of the following statements, if any, are true? It can always be expressed as the difference between the initial and final values of a potential energy function. It is independent of the path of the body and depends only on the starting and ending points. When the starting and ending points are the same, the total work is zero.

It is independent of the path of the body and depends only on the starting and ending points.

Explanation:

In Physics we define a conservative force as a force that is independent of the path of the body and depends only on the starting and ending points.

For conservative forces we can write;

KEi + PEi = KEf +PEf

where;

KEi= initial kinetic energy

PEi= initial potential energy

KEf= final kinetic energy

PEf= final potential energy

This equation is known as the principle conservation of mechanical energy . It applies only to conservative forces where friction is negligible. The term KE + PE  is also known as the total mechanical energy of the system.