Question

Newton’s first law of motion states that an object at rest stays at rest, and an object in motion stays in motion, unless acted on by an unbalanced force.

Which statements describe Newton’s first law? Check all that apply.

An object must be at rest before a force can move it.
An overall net force must be applied to an object before it can move.
Newton’s first law of motion is also known as the law of inertia.
Inertia does not apply to Newton’s first law.
Newton’s first law applies to an object whether it is moving or not.

Answer 1

Check:
- Newton’s first law of motion is also known as the law of inertia. (Yes)
- Newton’s first law applies to an object whether it is moving or not. (Yes)

Why the others are false (brief):
- "An object must be at rest before a force can move it." — False. A force changes an object's motion whether it is at rest or already moving.
- "An overall net force must be applied to an object before it can move." — False as stated. A net force is required to change an object's state of motion (accelerate it), but if an object is already moving it can continue moving with no net force.
- "Inertia does not apply to Newton’s first law." — False. Newton’s first law is essentially the statement of inertia.