Question

Which of the following is an example of Newton's First Law?

a
A rocket made with lighter composite materials will accelerate faster than a heavier one
b
A stationary book on the table must be picked up in order for it to move
c
Increasing the mass on an object experiencing the same force would decrease the acceleration
d
A baseball hits collides with a fence and they exchange forces

Answer 1

b

Newton's First Law (the law of inertia) says an object at rest stays at rest and an object in motion stays in motion unless acted on by a net external force — the book must be picked up (a force applied) to change its state of rest. Options a and c describe F = ma (Second Law) and d describes action–reaction pairs (Third Law).