Gravity is considered what type of force?

conservative

non-conservative

Gravity is a conservative force.

That means that when you move around in a gravitational field,

the amount of energy you need in order to get someplace

depends only on where you start and where you finish, and

it's not affected by the route you take to get there.

Friction ... as an example ... is not like that. If friction is present and

you wander around on the way from 'A' to 'B', taking a longer route,

then you'll need more energy than you would need for a more direct,

shorter route.