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.

AH
Answered by Annie H. Physics tutor

2647 Views

See similar Physics GCSE tutors

Related Physics GCSE answers

All answers ▸

What's the difference between a vector and a scalar?


The cyclist used the brakes to slow down and stop the bicycle. A constant braking force of 140 N stopped the bicycle in a distance of 24 m. Calculate the work done by the braking force to stop the bicycle. Give the unit. (3 Marks)


Explain why the velocity of a car moving at a constant speed around a bend changes.


a )John heats up 2kg of water from 20 degrees c to 80 degrees c. How much energy input did this require? b )When John weighs the water at the end, he has less than he started with. Why might this be? c) What hazards are in this experiment?


We're here to help

contact us iconContact ustelephone icon+44 (0) 203 773 6020
Facebook logoInstagram logoLinkedIn logo

MyTutor is part of the IXL family of brands:

© 2026 by IXL Learning