alleryStart learning →What is inertia?
AThe force needed to hold a body still
BThe pull of gravity acting on a body
CThe rate at which velocity changes with time
DThe tendency to stay at rest or in motion
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: D. The tendency to stay at rest or in motion
1. Inertia is the tendency of an object to remain at rest or to remain in motion.
2. Because it captures that tendency, Newton's first law is often called the law of inertia.
3. Inertia is a property of a body, not a force acting on it.
4. The pull of gravity on a body is its weight, which is a different idea altogether.
_Source: OpenStax College Physics (CC BY 4.0), Ch 4 "Dynamics: Force and Newton's Laws of Motion", section 4.2 Newton's First Law of Motion: Inertia_
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