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Let us suppose we have two identical electrical bicycles A and B with identical batteries, both with some stored electrical energy $E$.

A is in motion with Kinetic energy $K_A$. It gets $E$ from its battery, and undergoes a speed increase of $V_A$ measured by its speedometer.

B too is in motion, but with Kinetic energy $K_B$ > $K_A$. It gets $E$ from its battery, and undergoes a speed increase of $V_B$ measured by its speedometer.

Is it correct that $V_B < V_A$? In other words, their speeds do not increase by the same amount? If so, by measuring the increase in speed, one can deduce the initial speed. This contradicts the Galilean principle of relativity. How is this possible? Where am I wrong?

In Fact Found the answer to my question here :

How can kinetic energy be proportional to the square of velocity, when velocity is relative?

Anarchasis
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4 Answers4

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Kinetic energy is attributed (to an object) relative to some reference.

In the case of a wheeled transportation device, such as a bicycle, the obvious choice of reference is the road.

Not just because the road is bigger than the bicycle, but crucially: to gain velocity the bicycle is pushing off against that road.

Once you have set yourself in motion it's harder to gain extra velocity relative to the road, because when you have a velocity (relative to the road) the thing that you are pushing off against, the road, is receding from you.


In going from 0 units of velocity to 4 units of velocity a certain amount of kinetic energy is gained. The amount of kinetic energy gained when going from 0 units of velocity to 8 units of velocity is 4 times as much


A visualization:
Take in mind a toy car, a toy car that has a clockspring as energy storage.
Let's say the gearing is such that in going from 0 units of velocity to 4 units of velocity the gear that is driven by the clockspring goes through one revolution.

For simplicity: let the torque from the clockspring be a constant torque.
And again for simplicity: uniform acceleration.

If the torque is constant then the potential energy stored in the clock spring increases linearly with the number of revolutions. Conversely, potential energy released is in linear proportion to the number of revolutions of unwinding


In the case of uniform acceleration: Acceleration from 0 units of velocity to 8 units of velocity spans a distance that is four times larger than the distance spanned when accelerating from 0 units of velocity to 4 units of velocity.

Now to the toy car: If accelerating from 0 units of velocity to 4 units of velocity requires one revolution of the clockspring gear, then in order to accelerate the toy car from 0 units of velocity to 8 units of velocity the clockspring has to unwind four revolutions.

The clockspring has to unwind four times as much because the thing the car is pushing off against, the road, is receding ever faster,



Specific to your question:
The same amount of increase of kinetic energy (relative to the road) gives different increase of velocity, depending on the current velocity (relative to the road).

Cleonis
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Consider a constant force $\vec F$ acting on a body over a displacement in the sane direction as the force, $\vec s$.
The work done on the body is $\vec F\cdot \vec s = Fs$.
The graph of velocity against time is linear with the gradient (acceleration) constant and the area under the graph the displacement.

enter image description here.

As $t_1-t_0 > t_2-t_1$ then $v_1-v_0 > v_2-v_1$.

Farcher
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The kinetic energy is ${1 \over 2} m v^2$ so, no, the speed does not increase by the same amount, that is linearly, with energy.

my2cts
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Let us suppose we have two identical electrical bicycles A and B with identical batteries, both with some stored electrical energy $E$.

A is in motion with Kinetic energy $K_A$. It gets $E$ from its battery, and undergoes a speed increase of $V_A$ measured by its speedometer.

I will write the initial kinetic energy $K_A$ as $$ K_A = \frac{1}{2}mv_1^2 $$

To simplify the analysis, I will ignore friction and air resistance, and will also assume that all the battery energy $E$ is transformed into kinetic energy: $$ K_A + E = \frac{1}{2}m(v_1 + v_A)^2\;.\tag{1} $$

B too is in motion, but with Kinetic energy $K_B$ > $K_A$. It gets $E$ from its battery, and undergoes a speed increase of $V_B$ measured by its speedometer.

The bikes are identical, so their mass is identical. So, I will write $K_B$ as $$ K_B = \frac{1}{2}mv_2^2\;, $$ where $v_2>v_1$ since we have stated that $K_B>K_A$.

Again, I assume all the battery energy is transformed into kinetic energy, so we have $$ K_B + E = \frac{1}{2}m(v_2 + v_B)^2\;. \tag{2} $$

Is it correct that $V_B < V_A$?

Yes. Solving Eq. (1) and Eq. (2) for $v_A$ and $v_B$, respectively, gives: $$ v_A=\sqrt{v_1^2 + \frac{2E}{m}} - v_1\tag{3}\;, $$ and $$ v_B=\sqrt{v_2^2 + \frac{2E}{m}} - v_2\tag{4}\;. $$ Or, rearranging, we can see that $$ v_A^2 + 2 v_Av_1 = v_B^2+2v_Bv_2 $$ and so $$ v_A^2 + 2 v_Av_1 > v_B^2+2v_Bv_1\;,\tag{5} $$ since $v_2 > v_1$.

Without loss of generality, I will assume $v_A$, $v_B$, $v_1$, and $v_2$ are all positive (i.e., the bikes are traveling in the positive direction). Thus, rearranging Inequality (5) we have: $$ v_A^2 - v_B^2 + 2v_1(v_A - v_B)>0 $$ or $$ (v_A - v_B)\left(v_A + v_B + 2v_1\right) > 0 $$ or $$ v_A - v_B >0\;. $$

In other words, their speeds do not increase by the same amount?

Yes.

If so, by measuring the increase in speed, one can deduce the initial speed.

Yes. The initial speed can be determined from the known energy $E$, mass $m$, and speed increase $v_A$ as $$ v_1 = \frac{E}{mv_A} - \frac{v_A}{2}\;, $$ and similarly for $v_2$ with $v_A$ replaced by $v_B$.

This contradicts the Galilean principle of relativity.

No, it doesn't.

hft
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