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What are 5 examples of inertia of rest, inertia of motion, and inertia of direction?
Here are five examples each for the inertia of rest, inertia of motion, and inertia of direction, based on the principles outlined in Newton's first law of motion.
Inertia of Rest
The inertia of rest is the tendency of an object to remain at rest unless an external force acts upon it.
- Stationary Car: A car parked and stationary will remain still due to its inertia of rest, and it will only start moving when you apply force to the pedals or turn the ignition key125.
- Basketball on the Ground: A basketball left untouched on the court will stay in the same position because of its inertia of rest, resisting any attempt to move it without an external force125.
- Dust Particles in a Woolen Blanket: Dust particles settled on a woolen blanket remain still on its surface due to inertia of rest, requiring regular cleaning to move them125.
- Motionless Playground Swing: A swing at rest in a playground remains motionless until a child gives it a push, overcoming its inertia of rest12.
- Dishes on a Tablecloth: When a tablecloth is pulled quickly from underneath dishes, the dishes tend to remain still due to their inertia of rest, as long as the friction from the movement is not too great5.
Inertia of Motion
The inertia of motion is the tendency of an object to continue moving at a constant velocity in a straight line unless an external force acts upon it.
- Person Jumping Out of a Train: When a person jumps out from a moving train, their body continues to move forward because of inertia of motion, while their feet come to rest on the ground25.
- Body Movement When Car Stops: When a car stops suddenly, the upper part of the body tends to move forward due to inertia of motion, while the lower part is restrained by the seat25.
- Rolling Ball: A ball will continue rolling unless friction or another external force stops it. The greater the force of the roll, the harder it is for friction to act upon it5.
- Bicycle in Motion: When pedaling a bicycle, if you stop pedaling, the bike continues going until friction or gravity slows it down due to its inertia of motion5.
- Car Moving After Engine Off: A car that is moving will continue even if you switch the engine off, until external forces like friction or brakes slow it down5.
Inertia of Direction
The inertia of direction is the tendency of an object to maintain its direction of motion unless an external force acts upon it.
- Passengers in a Turning Bus: When a bus takes a sharp turn, passengers tend to move towards the center of curvature due to their inertia of direction, resisting the change in direction35.
- Stone Tied to a String: When a string tied to a stone is broken while the stone is in circular motion, the stone flies off tangentially because it continues in the direction it was moving before the string broke25.
- Hovercraft Movement: Hovercraft tend to continue in their same direction without stopping or turning easily because they lack the friction that would change their direction, illustrating inertia of direction5.
- Object on a Cart: When a cart with an object on top is abruptly stopped, the object tends to fall off because it continues moving in the original direction due to its inertia of direction5.
- Ice Skaters: Ice skaters can glide in a straight line due to their inertia of direction, which keeps them moving in the same direction unless an external force, like friction or a turn, acts upon them5.