ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Counter-electromotive force

Counter-electromotive force, or CEMF for short, is a fancy way of saying that whenever an electric motor (like the ones that make cars go) is running, it creates a kind of force that tries to slow it down.

Think of it like you're taking a toy car and you want to push it across the floor. If the floor is smooth and there's no air pushing against the car, it would keep going and going until it bumps into something. But imagine that as you're pushing the car, there's a strong force pushing back against your hand. This force is what we call CEMF, and it's caused by the motor inside the car that's trying to turn the wheels.

Now, you might be wondering why this force would want to slow the car down instead of making it go faster. That's because the motor is also using electricity to make the wheels turn, and that electricity has to come from somewhere. It's like trying to blow up a balloon - the more you blow into it, the harder it gets to blow, until you can't blow anymore.

So, to keep the motor from getting overloaded and burning out, the CEMF starts pushing back against it, creating a balance that allows the motor to keep running without putting too much strain on it. It's kind of like a tug-of-war between the motor and the CEMF, and as long as they're pulling equally hard, the motor will keep running smoothly.

Overall, CEMF is an important concept to understand when it comes to electric motors, since it helps us design and build better machines that can run efficiently and reliably.