Question

question 5.b
based on your answer to part a, what would happen to the ships motion if the engines were suddenly turned off?
a. the ship would immediately come to a stop.
b. the ship would continue moving forward at the same speed indefinitely.
c. the ship would start moving backward.
d. the ship would gradually slow down and eventually stop.

Explanation:

According to Newton's first law of motion, an object in motion will stay in motion with the same speed and in the same direction unless acted upon by an unbalanced force. When the ship's engines are turned off, the main force acting against its motion is water resistance (a form of friction). This force will gradually slow the ship down until it stops. Option A is incorrect because there's no force strong enough to stop it immediately. Option B ignores the existence of water resistance. Option C is wrong as there's no force to make it move backward.

Answer:

D. The ship would gradually slow down and eventually stop.