Need help on the question below. I have read all about all 3 laws but still don't understand if this would be 1st or 2nd law.

"A ball is rolling in a straight line on a hardwood floor. A cat hits it from the right, so the ball rolls left. Which Law of Motion is this?
a. Netwon's 1st law b. Newton's 2nd Law
c. Newton's 3rd law.
Thanks.

To determine which of Newton's laws applies to the given scenario, let's review each law:

1. Newton's First Law (Law of Inertia): This law 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 velocity, unless acted upon by an external force.

2. Newton's Second Law (Law of Acceleration): This law states that the acceleration of an object is directly proportional to the net force applied to it and inversely proportional to its mass. In equation form, it can be represented as F = m * a, where F represents the net force applied, m represents the mass of the object, and a represents the resulting acceleration.

3. Newton's Third Law (Law of Action-Reaction): This law states that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.

In the given scenario, a ball is rolling in a straight line on a hardwood floor, and a cat hits it from the right, causing the ball to roll left. The important thing to note is that the cat hitting the ball is the external force acting on it. Due to this external force, the ball changes its direction and rolls left.

Based on the given information, it can be concluded that the scenario described aligns with Newton's First Law. This is because the ball was initially moving in a straight line at a constant velocity until the cat hit it. This sudden change in motion is a result of an external force, which supports the concept of inertia described in the First Law.

Therefore, the correct answer to the question is a. Newton's 1st law.