A cart pushed on a smooth floor tends to keep moving after you stop pushing. Which physics concept explains this?

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Study for the MTTC Upper Elementary (3–6) Science and Social Studies Test. Use flashcards and multiple choice questions with hints and explanations. Get ready for your exam!

Multiple Choice

A cart pushed on a smooth floor tends to keep moving after you stop pushing. Which physics concept explains this?

Explanation:
Inertia explains why the cart keeps moving. It describes the tendency of objects to resist changes in their motion. On a smooth floor, horizontal friction is minimal, so once you stop pushing, there isn’t a strong horizontal force to slow it down, and the cart continues at about the same speed in the same direction. Momentum (mass times velocity) is related, but inertia is the fundamental reason motion persists. Gravity only affects vertical forces and doesn’t drive the horizontal motion.

Inertia explains why the cart keeps moving. It describes the tendency of objects to resist changes in their motion. On a smooth floor, horizontal friction is minimal, so once you stop pushing, there isn’t a strong horizontal force to slow it down, and the cart continues at about the same speed in the same direction. Momentum (mass times velocity) is related, but inertia is the fundamental reason motion persists. Gravity only affects vertical forces and doesn’t drive the horizontal motion.

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