Public School, Deer Creek Minnesota, 1918 LakesnWoods.com Postcard and Postcard Image Collection - click image to enlarge Aerial view, Deer Creek Minnesota, 1972
Whenever work is done upon an object by an external force, there will be a change in the total mechanical energy of the object. If only internal forces are doing work (no work done by external forces), there is no change in total mechanical energy; the total mechanical energy is said to be conserved.
A force is a push or a pull. A force can give energy to an object causing the object to start moving, stop moving, or change its motion. Forces occur in pairs and can be either balanced or unbalanced. Balanced forces do not cause a change in motion. They are equal in size and opposite in direction.