What is Inertia? Explain the relation of Inertia with Newton’s 1st Law on a person not wearing a seatbelt when a car moving 70 miles per hour suddenly slams on the brakes.
Inertia is the tendency of an object to resist changes in its state of motion. According to Newton's First Law of Motion, also known as the law of inertia, an object at rest will remain at rest, and an object in motion will continue in motion with the same speed and in the same direction, unless acted upon by an external force.
Now, let's consider the situation of a person not wearing a seatbelt in a car moving at 70 miles per hour that suddenly slams on the brakes. This scenario exemplifies the impact of inertia on the person's body.
When the brakes are applied, the car experiences a deceleration (negative acceleration). However, due to inertia, the person's body tends to maintain its state of motion, moving forward at 70 miles per hour. As a result, the person's body will continue moving forward until acted upon by an external force—like hitting the windshield or being stopped by the seatbelt.
This highlights the importance of wearing a seatbelt. The seatbelt acts as an external force that restrains the person's body, preventing it from moving forward and minimizing the risk of injury. Without a seatbelt, the person's body will continue moving forward, potentially resulting in severe injuries from colliding with the car's interior or being ejected from the vehicle.
In summary, the relationship between inertia and Newton's First Law in the context of not wearing a seatbelt in a car moving at high speed is that the person's body tends to maintain its state of motion (due to inertia) unless acted upon by an external force (the seatbelt) to prevent injury during sudden deceleration.