Newton's first law is also called ________.

The correct answer is The law of Inertia.

Key Points

• Newton's First Law is also referred to as the Law of Inertia because it describes an object's resistance to changes in its state of motion.
• The law states that an object will remain at rest or in uniform motion in a straight line unless acted upon by an external force.
• It highlights the concept of inertia, which is the tendency of objects to resist changes in their state of motion.
• The First Law forms the foundation of classical mechanics and explains the importance of balanced and unbalanced forces in motion.
• This law is applicable in everyday phenomena, such as why passengers lurch forward in a sudden brake of a moving vehicle.

Additional Information

• Inertia:
  • Inertia is a property of matter that resists changes to its state of motion or rest.
  • The greater the mass of an object, the greater its inertia and resistance to changes in motion.
• Force and Motion:
  • Force is a push or pull acting upon an object that can change its state of motion or rest.
  • Unbalanced forces cause acceleration, while balanced forces result in no change in motion.
• Newton's Laws of Motion:
  • The First Law is part of a broader framework of Newton's three laws of motion, which govern the motion of objects.
  • These laws were first introduced by Sir Isaac Newton in his work "Philosophiæ Naturalis Principia Mathematica" (1687).
• Applications of the First Law:
  • Seat belts in cars are designed to counteract inertia during sudden stops or collisions.
  • The principle explains why a ball rolling on a surface eventually stops due to external forces like friction and air resistance.