violating newton's first law of motion
What happened?
- In this video, Wile E. Coyote is trying to catch Road Runner by waiting for him to arrive and then flinging himself with a giant rubber band and launching himself into the air to get close enough to capture Road Runner. Notice how the first law of motion is being violated.
From 2:20 to 3:20, Wile E.Coyote uses the rubber band to launch himself near Road Runner.
Where was a law of physics broken?
- The coyote launched himself into the air and continued to fly at a constant speed in a straight line.
- Newton's First Law of Motion, or the Law of Inertia, is violated.
- According to this law, an object in motion will remain in motion at a constant speed in a straight line UNLESS the object is acted upon by an unbalanced force.
- Gravity is an unbalanced force.
- Therefore, the object should not have continued to move forward in a straight line.
What happened according to this video?
- According to this video, an object an motion will remain in motion at a constant speed in a straight line even when there are unbalanced forces acting on it.
What should have happened?
- The coyote should have gradually fallen downward as it flung into the air because gravity is acting on it, and an object does not continue to move in a straight line if an unbalanced force is acted upon it.