The tendency for a stationary body to continue to remain at rest when a force is applied to it is known as

Step 1: Analyze the question The question asks for the name of the property of a body that makes it resist a change in its state of rest (or of uniform motion).

Step 2: Explain the concept Newton's First Law of Motion says that a body stays at rest, or keeps moving with constant velocity in a straight line, unless an external force acts on it. The property of matter that causes this resistance to change is called inertia. The greater the mass of a body, the greater its inertia.

Step 3: Check each option

• A. Friction: a force that opposes relative motion between two surfaces in contact. It is a force, not a tendency of a body.
• B. Impulse: the product of force and the time for which it acts (Ft), which equals the change in momentum. It is not a property of a body.
• C. Inertia: the tendency of a body to stay at rest or in uniform motion unless acted on by an external force. This matches the question.
• D. Momentum: the product of mass and velocity (mv). A stationary body has zero momentum, so this does not describe resistance to change.

Step 4: Answer The correct answer is **C.

Exam tip: Link the words "tendency to remain at rest or in motion" with inertia and Newton's First Law. Inertia is a property of mass. Friction, impulse, and momentum all involve forces or motion actually happening.