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What is the Relationship Between Mass and Inertia in Physics?
Learn the definition of inertia and why it causes objects to resist changes in motion. Understand Newton’s First Law and the role of mass in classical mechanics.
Question
The inertia of a body tends to cause the body to:
A. Resist any change in its motion
B. Speed up
C. Slow down
D. Fall toward Earth
Answer
A. Resist any change in its motion
Explanation
Inertia is a fundamental property of matter that describes an object’s resistance to any change in its state of motion or rest. This concept, formalized by Isaac Newton in his First Law of Motion, states that an object at rest will remain at rest, and an object in motion will continue moving in a straight line at a constant speed unless acted upon by a net external force. Inertia depends entirely on the mass of the object; the greater the mass, the greater the inertia, meaning it requires more force to change its velocity or direction. Therefore, inertia does not inherently cause an object to speed up, slow down, or fall toward Earth, but simply maintains its current state against external influences.