Which of the following statements about inertia is INCORRECT?

The correct answer is Option 1.

Key Points

• Inertia is the property of matter that describes an object's tendency to resist changes in its state of motion or rest.
• Option 1 is incorrect because inertia alone does not cause an object to stop; it maintains the object’s current state of motion unless acted upon by external forces like friction or air resistance.
• An object moving in a straight line at constant velocity will continue indefinitely unless external forces act on it, according to Newton's first law of motion.
• Newton’s first law, also known as the law of inertia, states that an object at rest stays at rest and an object in motion stays in motion unless acted upon by an external force.
• External forces such as friction or gravity are responsible for bringing a moving object to rest, not inertia itself.

Additional Information

• Newton's First Law of Motion: Often called the law of inertia, it explains that an object will not change its motion unless a net external force is applied.
• Friction: A force that opposes motion, typically responsible for stopping moving objects when no additional force is applied.
• Gravity: A universal force of attraction that can influence the motion of objects, such as causing them to decelerate or come to rest.
• Inertia and Mass: The amount of inertia an object has is directly related to its mass; larger masses have greater inertia.
• Practical Examples: A ball rolling on a flat surface eventually stops due to friction, not inertia, while a spacecraft in the vacuum of space continues moving indefinitely due to the absence of external forces.