Newton's First Law Explained: Ball Dropped From Moving Ship

[lauralovesyou]

A ball released from the top of the mast of a moving ship lands at the base of the mast. Explain this according to Newtons' first law.

I just know that the first law is that if the net force acting on an object is zero, the object will maintain its state of rest or constant velocity. How does it apply to this scenario?

 

[Delphi51]

I think the question is asking why the ball falls at the base of the mast rather than somewhere behind the ship, below the point from which it was dropped.
Remember that the first law works in the horizontal direction even when there is a force in the vertical direction.

 

[kerimek]

According to Newton's first law of motion, also known as the law of inertia, an object will remain at rest or in motion at a constant velocity unless acted upon by an external force. In this scenario, the ball released from the top of the mast of a moving ship is initially at rest relative to the ship. However, as the ship continues to move forward, the ball maintains its state of rest due to its inertia. As the ship moves forward, the ball will continue to move with the same velocity as the ship. Therefore, when the ball is released, it will appear to drop straight down from the perspective of someone on the ship, but in reality, it is maintaining its state of motion along with the ship. This is why the ball lands at the base of the mast, as it is still moving forward with the same velocity as the ship. This scenario is a perfect example of how an object's inertia can cause it to maintain its state of motion, even when acted upon by external forces.