Newton's first law

American  

noun

1. Mechanics. one of the three fundamental laws of motion, which states that an object remains at rest or in uniform motion in a straight line unless acted upon by an outside force.

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Example Sentences

And people have used misinterpretations of Newton’s first law to argue that Einstein’s and Newton’s theories have fundamental philosophical disagreements, DiSalle says.

From Scientific American • Sep. 5, 2023

In particular, there have been complaints that Newton’s first law is circular.

From Scientific American • Sep. 5, 2023

Seale and Miller defy Issac Newton’s first law of motion: A body at rest will stay at rest.

From Seattle Times • Aug. 23, 2022

Only external forces affect the motion of a system, according to Newton’s first law.

From Textbooks • Aug. 12, 2015

This idea was first stated explicitly in Newton’s Principia Mathematica, published in 1687, and is known as Newton’s first law.

From "A Brief History of Time: And Other Essays" by Stephen Hawking