Which one of the following forces is non-central and non-conservative

Which one of the following forces is non-central and non-conservative ?

Frictional force
Electric force
Gravitational force
Mechanical force
This question was previously asked in
UPSC NDA-1 – 2019
Frictional force is non-central and non-conservative.
A central force is one that acts along the line connecting the two interacting bodies or towards a fixed point. Gravitational and electrostatic forces between point masses/charges are examples of central forces. Frictional force acts parallel to the surfaces in contact, opposing relative motion, and is not necessarily directed along a line connecting centers or towards a fixed point, making it non-central.
A conservative force is one for which the work done in moving an object between two points is independent of the path taken. Work done by a conservative force over a closed loop is zero. Electric and gravitational forces are conservative. Frictional force dissipates energy as heat; the work done by friction depends on the path taken and is always negative (it opposes motion), meaning it is a non-conservative force.
Mechanical force is a very general term and can encompass various specific forces, some of which might be conservative (like elastic spring force) or non-conservative (like applied force doing work against friction). Therefore, ‘Mechanical force’ itself is not specific enough to be definitively classified as non-central and non-conservative; its nature depends on the specific force being considered.
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