A moving bicycle comes to rest after sometimes if we stop pedalling it. But Newton's first law of motion says that a moving body should continue to move for ever, unless some external force acts on it. How do you explain the bicycle case?

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Solution

If we stop pedalling a bicycle, moving at a uniform speed, it does not go on moving forever. It eventually comes to rest after some time. This is because the moving bicycle has been compelled to change its state of uniform motion by the external force of air resistance and friction. If there were no air resistance and no friction to oppose the motion of the bicycle, then, according to the first law of motion, the moving bicycle would go on moving forever on a horizontal road. It cannot stop by itself.

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