Newton's First Law

Front

What is Newton's First Law of Motion?

Back

An object at rest stays at rest, and an object in motion stays in motion with the same speed and in the same direction unless acted upon by an unbalanced force.

Front

What does the term 'equilibrium' mean?

Back

A state of rest or balance due to the equal action of opposing forces.

Front

What happens to a ball thrown into space?

Back

It will move in a straight line indefinitely.

Front

What occurs when a spacecraft's engines are turned off in space?

Back

It will continue moving at a constant velocity.

Front

What are unbalanced forces?

Back

Forces acting on an object that combine to form a net force that is not zero, causing the object's motion to change.

Front

How do we know forces are balanced?

Back

The net force is zero.

Front

What is a net force?

Back

The overall force acting on an object when all the individual forces are combined.

Front

What is inertia?

Back

The tendency of an object to resist changes in its state of motion.

Front

What is an example of balanced forces?

Back

A book resting on a table, where the force of gravity is balanced by the normal force from the table.

Front

What is an example of unbalanced forces?

Back

A car accelerating when the engine applies more force than friction.