According to Newton's 1st law of motion, an object at rest will stay at rest unless what happens?

Prepare for the GACE Middle Grades Science Test. Use flashcards and multiple choice questions with hints and explanations. Ace your exam!

According to Newton's First Law of Motion, also known as the law of inertia, an object at rest will remain at rest, and an object in motion will continue in motion with a constant velocity unless acted upon by an external force. This principle emphasizes the idea that motion changes only when a net force is applied; therefore, without that applied force, the object's state of rest will not change.

An external force can be anything from a push or pull, friction, gravity, or another interacting force that disrupts the object's inertia. This law highlights the inherent resistance of objects to changes in their motion, which is fundamentally what we term inertia.

Understanding this concept is crucial in physics, as it lays the foundation for exploring how forces influence motion, making it easier to analyze various physical scenarios involving moving or stationary objects.

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