Final answer:
Newton's law of inertia, also known as Newton's first law of motion, states that an object at rest will remain at rest, and an object in motion will continue moving in a straight line at a constant velocity, unless acted upon by an external force. Newton's law of inertia in this situation is: The person will move backward due to the force of the rock on the scooter.
Step-by-step explanation:
Newton's law of inertia, also known as Newton's first law of motion, states that an object at rest will remain at rest, and an object in motion will continue moving in a straight line at a constant velocity, unless acted upon by an external force. This law is often summarized with the phrase 'an object in motion stays in motion, and an object at rest stays at rest.'
In the given options, neither the scooter nor the person will move sideways or fall forward due to the force of the rock. Instead, the correct statement that best describes Newton's law of inertia in this situation is: The person will move backward due to the force of the rock on the scooter.
According to Newton's third law of motion, for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. When the rock exerts a force on the scooter, the scooter exerts an equal and opposite force back on the rock (action and reaction). As a result, the person on the scooter experiences a force that propels them backward.