Question

A spaceship far from all other objects uses its thrusters to attain a speed of $\mathbf{1}\mathbf{\times }{\mathbf{10}}^{\mathbf{4}}$m/s. The crew then shuts off the power. According to Newton's first law, what will happen to the motion of the spaceship from then on?

Short answer

The spaceship will move with constant speed, until an unbalanced force starts acting upon it.

Step-by-step solution

Given data

Here given is a space ship moving at a speed of $1\times {10}^4{\mathrm{ms}}^{-1}$.

About Newton’s first law

The first law of Newton's asserts that if a body is at rest or travelling in a straight path at a constant speed, it will remain at rest or continue to move in a straight line at a constant speed until acted upon by a force.

Analyzing the situation

According to Newton’s first law, the spaceship will keep moving with the same speed of $1\times {10}^4{\mathrm{ms}}^{-1}$until and unless a force acts upon it and changes its direction or speed.

Therefore, the spaceship will move as it is.