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Which everyday event illustrates Newton's first law of motion?
APassengers falling back as a car starts
BKicking a stationary football forwards
CPushing a heavy door until it opens
DPushing a swing to start it moving
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: A. Passengers falling back as a car starts
1. The first law concerns inertia: a body keeps its state of rest or uniform motion unless a force acts.
2. When a car suddenly starts, the passengers' bodies tend to stay at rest, so they appear to fall backwards.
3. Other examples of the same law are falling forwards when a bus stops suddenly, an athlete running before a jump, mud flying off tangentially from a wheel, and a seat belt locking.
4. Kicking a ball, pushing a door and pushing a swing all apply a force that produces acceleration.
5. Those three illustrate the second law, and offering them here was the recorded error.
_Source: NECTA ACSEE 2023 Physics 131/1, Question 4: Mechanics (Newton's Laws of Motion)_