A ___ force is not path-dependent and does not change the overall mechanical energy of an object.

conservative

Explanation:

Nonconservative force is the force that depends on a path, however conservative does not depend on a path and it is not associated with the potential energy. When the work is done by an unconservative force, mechanical energy is added or removed. Friction is the best example for a non-conservative force. When these non-conservative forces are acting, the mechanical energy changes but these are not preserved.

hope this helped!

conservative

Explanation:

A conservative force is not path-dependent and does not change the overall mechanical energy of an object.

A conservative force is a force with the property that the total work done in moving a particle between two points is independent of the taken path, e.g. gravitational force or electric force.

A nonconservative force is one for which work depends on the path taken, e.g. frictional force.

powerful computers now, not then

this could be newton#'s law of cooling. the cooling curve is exponential