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What Is Newton's First Law? Choose the Correct Statement

Newton's first law says that zero net external force preserves an object's state of rest or constant-velocity motion; among the four choices, statement B is correct.

Question

What does Newton's first law state?

A. A body at rest tends to remain at rest and a body in motion tends to remain in motion at a constant acceleration unless acted on by a net external force.

B. A body at rest tends to remain at rest and a body in motion tends to remain in motion at a constant velocity unless acted on by a net external force.

C. The rate of change of momentum of a body is directly proportional to the external force applied to the body.

D. The rate of change of momentum of a body is inversely proportional to the external force applied to the body.

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Evidence boundary

This answer evaluates the four options in OpenStax Physics 4.2, Check Your Understanding 5. It assumes an inertial reference frame. Constant velocity means both constant speed and constant direction; the answer does not claim that no individual forces act, only that their vector sum is zero.