Question

A rocket is traveling from Earth to Mars at 10,000 m/s. If no outside force is applied to it, what will happen to its speed over the course of the trip?

a) The rocket's speed will increase.
b) The rocket's speed will decrease.
c) The rocket's speed will remain constant.
d) The rocket will stop moving.

Answer 1

If no outside force is applied to the rocket, its speed will remain constant.

Step-by-step explanation:

In this case, if no outside force is applied to the rocket, its speed will remain constant. According to Newton's first law of motion, an object in motion will stay in motion with the same speed and direction unless acted upon by an external force. Since there is no force acting on the rocket, its speed will not change over the course of the trip.