One of my hobbies that I enjoy doing is riding my bike. If I have free time, I usually ride around my neighborhood. I have to say that it's one of the best ways to exercise. The breeze and sunshine just make riding so much more fun. You enjoy the scenery while burn some calories.
There is physics in riding a bicylce. First of all, a gravitational force pulls the bicycle to the earth. Gravity has an effect on the rider and bicyle. If travelling uphill, gravity works as a force against the rider (force equals mass times gravity) so the rider must put more force on the petals to keep the momentum going. Momentum is equal to mass times velocity. The acceleration of a bicycle is called centripetal acceleration. The wheels of a
bicycle move in a forward direction due to centripetal acceleration pointing toward the center of the wheels. More force is needed to move a smaller wheel a certain distance compared to a larger wheel. The weight of a bicycle also determines how much force needs to be applied to move the bicycle. The more the bike weighs, the more force is needed to work the petals of the bicycle. This is one reason why cyclists who compete in bicycling marathons have bicycles that weigh very light. Light bikes allow them to use little force to travel a greater distance. Another concept of physics found in bicycling is friction. Breaks increase the amount of friction on the wheels and cause the bicyle to slow down or stop. Smooth ground surfaces have les
s friction which create less force needed to accelerate the bicycle.
Try riding your bike this week, it definitely is worth it.
There is physics in riding a bicylce. First of all, a gravitational force pulls the bicycle to the earth. Gravity has an effect on the rider and bicyle. If travelling uphill, gravity works as a force against the rider (force equals mass times gravity) so the rider must put more force on the petals to keep the momentum going. Momentum is equal to mass times velocity. The acceleration of a bicycle is called centripetal acceleration. The wheels of a
bicycle move in a forward direction due to centripetal acceleration pointing toward the center of the wheels. More force is needed to move a smaller wheel a certain distance compared to a larger wheel. The weight of a bicycle also determines how much force needs to be applied to move the bicycle. The more the bike weighs, the more force is needed to work the petals of the bicycle. This is one reason why cyclists who compete in bicycling marathons have bicycles that weigh very light. Light bikes allow them to use little force to travel a greater distance. Another concept of physics found in bicycling is friction. Breaks increase the amount of friction on the wheels and cause the bicyle to slow down or stop. Smooth ground surfaces have les
s friction which create less force needed to accelerate the bicycle.Every aspect of bicycling contains something related to physics. Hurrah for physics!!!
2 comments:
Cara, is that really the bike you ride around town with? The chain looks pretty rusty, haha. There are a few times when we will actually refer to the misc. physics of bicycles, including the mass distribution on the wheels. But you covered a lot already. Good job!
OMG...it's Cara!!!!!!! : D Guess who!
Haha...yunyun, ayxl, & i welcome you to the wonderful world of physics!!!
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