Why is relative motion at constant velocity the same as being at rest?

kilmchixvoicktf

kilmchixvoicktf

Open question

2022-08-20

If I am a passenger who plays catching-the-ball game inside a vehicle that moves with a constant velocity in a straight road, why can I catch the ball repeatedly that as if the vehicle is at rest? How to explain this using first law of motion by Newton?

Answer & Explanation

margenar0g

margenar0g

Beginner2022-08-21Added 9 answers

The explanation from the point of view of a stationary observer outside of the vehicle is that the ball has a certain horizontal velocity, which will remain constant unless it is acted on by a horizontal force (this is a consequence of Newton’s first law). If the ball is thrown straight up there is no horizontal force acting on it, so it continues to move with the same horizontal velocity. The thrower also has an identical horizontal velocity, so the ball remains directly above the thrower throughout it’s motion, and the thrower can catch it again as it falls.
From the point of view of an observer in the vehicle, there are no horizontal forces acting on either the thrower or the ball, so it is not surprising that the thrower can throw the ball vertically upwards and catch it again.
If your question is “why is Newton’s first law true” then the only answer is “that’s just the way our universe works”.

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