E-bikes and Momentum

Abstract

The concept of momentum, combining both the quantitive measure of a moving body and the impetus gained by continuous motion, elucidates how an Ebike efficiently utilizes this force for effective transportation. The rider’s balance, pedal force, and the hub motor’s torque collectively contribute to the acceleration of the bike, showcasing the synergy between physics and modern technology in motion.

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When you ride a normal cycle, motion is produced naturally by way of “Momentum”. An Ebike utilizes momentum even more with the help of a hub motor. The scientific definition of “momentum” has two seemingly unrelated variations of the same concept, but when they are combined together, they supplement each other.

A closer look at the definition of “momentum” relates those two distinct meanings into a combined synthesis that makes sense.

The first definition of momentum is A) the quantitive measure of a moving body in motion. How do we measure the motion of a moving body? 

The second definition of momentum is B) the “impetus” (another term needing a definition) gained by a moving object. 

The impetus is the accumulation of quantity (whether it be mass, speed, energy etc.,) by an object in continuous motion. The idea is that when an object is continuously in motion, it accumulates greater and greater speeds over an undisrupted length of time. The latter idea can be defined by the concept of “velocity”, which generally means the speed of an object within definite direction. 

As an object (like an ebike), possess mass, weight (120 kg includes the weight of the bike and battery) size etc., moves at certain velocity, it acculimates faster and faster speeds without using greater and greater energy. Ebikes are a powerful modern invention because they utilize the element of momentum to actualize efficient transportation over short lengths of time. 

The rider’s balance helps keep the bike stable while traveling along a path. The force used by pedalling allows the gears of a bike to spin the back wheel. As the back wheel rotates, the motor kicks in, providing torque propelling the rider forward without much effort. The tire uses friction to grip the surface and move the bike in the desired direction.

In other words, the “secret” of e-bikes is the efficient utilization of momentum to preserve energy, while arriving at destinations faster. This means that you can arrive at destinations while still maintaining the energy to travel towards further destinations i.e., going longer range upwards of 100kms (give or take and depending on the batteries AH).