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

To understand why, consult the Law of Contagious Puns, a little-known corollary to Newton’s First Law of Motion, the scientific principle that explains why an ostrich in motion is likely to remain in motion, at least until the bird gets tired.

From Literature

A subtle mistranslation of Isaac Newton’s first law of motion that flew under the radar for three centuries is giving new insight into what the pioneering natural philosopher was thinking when he laid the foundations of classical mechanics.

From Scientific American

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

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

From Scientific American

This is consistent with Aristotle’s debunked theory of physics, which did not account for the effects of Newton’s first law of motion.

From Scientific American