Final Answer:
The answer of the given statement that "A 20g ball of clay traveling east demonstrates" is d) Inertia
Step-by-step explanation:
In physics, the property of matter that resists changes in its state of motion is known as inertia. This means that an object at rest tends to stay at rest, and an object in motion tends to stay in motion with the same speed and in the same direction unless acted upon by an external force.
In the case of the 20g ball of clay traveling east, its tendency to continue moving in the eastward direction is due to its inertia.
Inertia is not the same as velocity, acceleration, or momentum. Velocity refers to the speed of an object in a particular direction, acceleration is the rate at which velocity changes, and momentum is the product of an object's mass and velocity.
In this scenario, the primary characteristic being demonstrated is the resistance to a change in motion, which aligns with the concept of inertia.
The 20g clay ball, once set in motion, will maintain its velocity unless an external force acts upon it. Therefore, the correct answer is d) Inertia.