Question

Why will a bike rider continue to move forward even after the curb has stopped the bike?

Answers

GPT-4o mini
A bike rider continues to move forward even after the bike has come to a stop due to the principle of inertia, which is described by Newton's first law of motion. This law states that an object in motion will remain in motion unless acted upon by a net external force.

When the bike hits the curb, the bike stops abruptly due to the curb providing a significant opposing force. However, the rider's body, which is in motion at the same speed as the bike before the impact, tends to continue moving forward. This happens because there is not enough friction or another force acting immediately on the rider to bring them to a stop in the same way that the bike is stopped.

As a result, the rider may be thrown forward off the bike if they do not brace themselves or react quickly enough to the sudden stop of the bike. In summary, the rider's forward motion is a result of inertia, which causes their body to continue moving in the direction of travel even when the bike itself has stopped.

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