Question

An astronaut throws a rock in outer space, away from gravitational and frictional influences. Will the rock gradually stop, or will it continue in a straight line at a constant speed?

Answer 1

In outer space, away from gravitational and frictional influences, the rock will continue in a straight line at a constant speed. This behavior is explained by Newton's first law of motion, which states that an object at rest will remain at rest, and an object in motion will continue in motion with the same speed and in the same direction unless acted upon by a net external force. Since there are no significant forces acting on the rock in this scenario, it will not gradually stop but will keep moving indefinitely in the direction it was thrown.