Which of the following is Newton's First Law of Motion, generally termed the Law of Inertia?

Question

BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

The Law of Inertia states that an object remains at rest or continues to move in a straight line at constant speed unless a net external force acts on it. This is the defining statement of Newton’s First Law.

1) Relevant knowledge points and concepts
- Inertia: tendency of an object to resist changes in its state of motion; quantitatively related to mass.
- Net external force: only an unbalanced force can change an object’s velocity (magnitude or direction).
- Inertial frame: Newton’s laws apply straightforwardly in non-accelerating reference frames.
- Distinction among Newton’s three laws: First (inertia), Second (F = ma), Third (action–reaction).

2) Step-by-step reasoning
- Consider an object with no net external force. By the definition of net force = 0, the object cannot experience acceleration.
- If acceleration = 0, velocity is constant: either the object stays at rest (velocity = 0) or moves in a straight line at constant speed (velocity ≠ 0).
- Therefore, the correct verbal formulation of the First Law is that every body persists in its state of rest or uniform straight-line motion unless acted on by some outside force.

3) Calculations / intermediate steps
- No algebraic calculation is required. If desired, use the Second Law in the special case F_net = 0: F_net = m a ⇒ 0 = m a ⇒ a = 0 (since m ≠ 0). This shows why velocity is constant.

4) Why the correct answer is correct
- The option “Every body persists in its state of rest, or of motion in a straight line, unless acted upon by some outside force.” exactly states inertia: persistence of motion in absence of net external force. It matches Newton’s original phrasing.

5) Why the other options are incorrect
- “Force is proportional to the product of mass and acceleration.” is Newton’s Second Law (F = ma), not the First Law.
- “To every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.” is Newton’s Third Law, describing forces between interacting bodies, not inertia.

6) Conclusion
The correct choice is “Every body persists in its state of rest, or of motion in a straight line, unless acted upon by some outside force.” This matches the provided answer.

Which of the following is Newton's First Law of Motion, generally termed the Law of Inertia?单项选择题

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