Inertia Examples

Inertia is an object's ability to resist changes in motion. In other words, it is the tendency of an object to continue moving in a straight line at the same speed until friction or some other object slows it down or makes the object change direction.

1. A person is pedaling their bike and suddenly hits the front brakes and their body continues to move and they fly over the handle bars.

2. A person is riding a jet ski in a straight line and suddenly turns the handles and their body continues moving in a straight line at the same speed as they are thrown from the jet ski.

3. A car traveling too fast down a road attempts a curve but the friction is not enough to hold the car and the car continues moving straight and goes off the road.

4. If the moon began to move faster in its path around the Earth, it would move too fast to stay in orbit and go hurdling into out space.