If your automobile runs out of fuel while driving, the engine stops. You don’t come to an abrupt stop due to
A. gravity
B. friction
C. inertia
D. the principle of continuation.
The correct answer and explanation is:
The correct answer is C. inertia.
Inertia is the tendency of an object to resist changes in its motion. When you are driving an automobile, the car is in motion due to the force generated by the engine. If the engine runs out of fuel and stops working, the car doesn’t immediately come to a halt. Instead, it continues moving for a short period due to inertia.
Inertia is governed by Newton’s First Law of Motion, which states that an object in motion will stay in motion unless acted upon by an external force. In the case of the car, even though the engine stops, the car’s momentum (the product of its mass and velocity) carries it forward for a while. This continued motion happens until other forces, such as friction and air resistance, gradually slow the car down.
Friction, which acts between the tires and the road, and air resistance are the primary forces that slow the car down after the engine stops. These forces work against the car’s motion, but they are not responsible for the car continuing to move initially. That ability to keep moving, despite the loss of engine power, is a direct result of inertia.
In summary, the car doesn’t stop abruptly because of its inertia, which keeps it moving for a short time after the engine cuts out. Eventually, friction and air resistance slow the car to a stop.