= Force field
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{title2=$\mathbf F(\mathbf x,t)$}
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= Force field
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A force field specifies a <force> <vector> as a function of <position> and, when necessary, time, for a specified test body. It is a <vector field>. A time-independent <conservative vector field> has $\mathbf F=-\nabla V$, where $V$ is the body's <potential energy>; its <work> along a path equals the decrease in $V$. Position-dependent forces can have nonzero <curl>, so a <scalar potential> need not exist.
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