Question

A person is sitting in a nonmoving wheelchair. Another person begins to push the chair across a room. Which of the following concepts applies to what happens to the wheelchair?

A. Unstable equilibrium
B. The moment of inertia
C. Static equilibrium
D. The law of inertia

Answer 1

When the wheelchair that is initially at rest begins to move after being pushed, it exemplifies the law of inertia, Newton's first law stating that a body will maintain its state of motion unless acted upon by an external force.

Step-by-step explanation:

The scenario presented involves a person pushing a wheelchair that was previously at rest. The correct concept that applies when the wheelchair is pushed across the room is the law of inertia. This is because the wheelchair, initially in a static equilibrium, begins to move due to an external force and will continue to move at a constant velocity in the absence of other external forces. This is in accordance wit Newton's first law, often referred to as the law of inertia. Thus, the answer is D. The law of inertia.