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

2495 Views

See similar Physics GCSE tutors

Related Physics GCSE answers

All answers ▸

Is momentum a vector quantity? Why?


What is the difference between Speed, Velocity and Acceleration?


Assuming no friction, describe the motion of a simple pendulum released from rest at t=0 at amplitude A? Provide information about its speed and position at characteristic times during one period. [The 1D equation of motion is described by a cosine]


A rollercoaster carriage wants to go up a slope of length 10m at an angle of 30 degrees above the horizontal, at what speed must the carriage be travelling at the bottom of the slope in order for it to reach the top? (Negligable Drag)


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