Final answer:
The best example of inertia is a book at rest on a table, exemplifying Newton's first law of motion, which states that an object will remain at rest unless acted upon by an external force.
Step-by-step explanation:
The best example of inertia is a book at rest on a table. Inertia is an object's tendency to remain at rest or, if moving, to remain in motion unless acted upon by a net external force. This principle is known as Newton's first law of motion. A car rounding a bend at a constant speed, a merry-go-round increasing from rest to a constant rotational speed, and a pendulum swinging back and forth all involve forces causing acceleration and therefore do not purely demonstrate inertia. A bowling ball rolling down a bowling alley also does not exemplify inertia at its best, as it is subject to forces like friction and may not maintain a constant velocity. However, the book on a table does not change its state of rest until an external force is applied, making it the clearest example of inertia.