What does Newton's First Law mean?

Newton's First Law states that an object will continue moving at the same velocity in the same direction unless a resultant force acts upon it. This applies to stationary objects too - if an object is still and no resultant force is exerted on it, it will remain still. A resultant force is the force left over when all the forces and their directions are taken into account, e.g. on a ball moving through air, there is a drag force and gravitational force acting on it - the ball continues to move down because the gravitational force is greater than the drag force. This tendency of objects to stay in their steady state is called inertia.

Answered by Annie H. Physics tutor

2010 Views

See similar Physics GCSE tutors

Related Physics GCSE answers

All answers ▸

Two cars are moving parallel to each other on a road. The first car is moving at a speed of 11 m/s, while the second car is moving at 17 m/s, what is the speed of the second car, relative to the first car.


What is refraction?


Define Newton's three laws


explain the relationship between resistance and voltage in a filament lamp


We're here to help

contact us iconContact usWhatsapp logoMessage us on Whatsapptelephone icon+44 (0) 203 773 6020
Facebook logoInstagram logoLinkedIn logo

© MyTutorWeb Ltd 2013–2025

Terms & Conditions|Privacy Policy
Cookie Preferences