# momentum (retained)

drift that continues after the force producing it stops

- Computed level: L16 (depth in the emergence graph, not abstraction)
- Status: review  ·  Domain: physics  ·  Arena: natural

## Emergence
**Emerges from:** [drift](https://emergencemachine.com/tools/lexicon/what-is-the-meaning-of-drift.aimless), [parameter](https://emergencemachine.com/tools/lexicon/what-is-the-meaning-of-parameter.condition), [window](https://emergencemachine.com/tools/lexicon/what-is-the-meaning-of-window.range), [maintenance](https://emergencemachine.com/tools/lexicon/what-is-the-meaning-of-maintenance.upkeep), [boundary](https://emergencemachine.com/tools/lexicon/what-is-the-meaning-of-boundary.limit), [continue](https://emergencemachine.com/tools/lexicon/what-is-the-meaning-of-continue.action), [force](https://emergencemachine.com/tools/lexicon/what-is-the-meaning-of-force.push), [stop](https://emergencemachine.com/tools/lexicon/what-is-the-meaning-of-stop.action), [time](https://emergencemachine.com/tools/lexicon/what-is-the-meaning-of-time.dimension)

**Through:** drift persists within a parameter's window after the force ends because the cessation of force interacts with temporal continuity and boundary conditions to sustain motion.

**Novel properties:**
- persistence after force removal
- temporal inertia within bounded conditions
- continued change without ongoing cause

## Examples
- A bicycle continues forward for 40 meters after the rider stops pedaling on a flat road. *(physics)*
- The International Space Station orbits Earth every 90 minutes despite no continuous thrust. *(engineering)*
- Bitcoin prices rose 30% in two weeks after the initial regulatory scare faded, fueled by trader sentiment. *(economics)*

## Used by
- [snowball effect](https://emergencemachine.com/tools/lexicon/what-is-the-meaning-of-snowball-effect.stacked-dependency) (L19)

---
*Canonical: https://emergencemachine.com/tools/lexicon/what-is-the-meaning-of-momentum.retained*  
*Structured data: https://emergencemachine.com/tools/lexicon/what-is-the-meaning-of-momentum.retained.json*  
*Every definition provably resolves to space, time, energy and pattern.*