* Newton's First Law of Motion (Inertia): An object at rest stays at rest, and an object in motion stays in motion with the same speed and in the same direction unless acted upon by an unbalanced force.
* Net Force: The net force is the vector sum of all forces acting on an object. If the net force is zero, it means all the forces are balanced.
* Constant Velocity: This means the object is moving at a constant speed in a straight line.
Example:
Imagine a hockey puck sliding across a frictionless surface.
* Initially: You apply a force to the puck to get it moving.
* Afterward: Once you stop applying the force, there is no longer a force pushing the puck.
* Frictionless Surface: Since the surface is frictionless, there is no force opposing the puck's motion.
* Zero Net Force: The net force on the puck is zero (no force pushing it forward, no force slowing it down).
* Motion: The puck continues to move at a constant velocity in a straight line.
Key Takeaway:
Even without any force acting on it, an object can maintain its motion if it's already moving at a constant velocity. This is because there is no net force to change its state of motion.
