The observation that a ball on the ground, when given a small hit, does not move forever challenged the belief that rest is the “natural state” of an object. This observation suggests that objects can change their state of motion and do not necessarily remain at rest unless acted upon by external forces.
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The observation that challenged the belief in the natural state of rest was Galileo’s experiment with inclined planes. In the early 17th century, Galileo demonstrated that objects, when placed on inclined surfaces, exhibited uniform acceleration while rolling downhill. This contradicted the prevailing Aristotelian notion that rest was the natural state of objects. Galileo’s experiments provided evidence for the concept of inertia, suggesting that objects tend to maintain their state of motion unless acted upon by external forces. This pivotal observation laid the foundation for Newton’s laws of motion, reshaping our understanding of the fundamental nature of motion.