Final answer:
The claim that an external entity transforms data within a system is false; an external force is one that originates outside the system and impacts it, affecting the system's motion.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that an external entity is a person, place, or thing within the system that transforms data is false. In fact, an external force is defined as a force that is generated outside of the system and acts on an object within the system. For instance, when considering a car and its passenger as the system, any forces exerted by entities outside of the car, such as students pushing the car, would be considered external forces.
An internal force, on the other hand, would be a force that acts between elements within the system, such as the passenger holding onto the steering wheel. Only external forces affect the motion of a system according to Newton's first law, as internal forces cancel each other out.
To determine which forces are external, it is essential to clearly define the boundaries of the system at the beginning of a problem-solving process. The correct identification and application of external forces are vital concepts in the study of physics.