The path of a body in flight is determined by what law?

The path of a body in flight is determined by Newton's Law of Motion, especially the first two laws that explain how an object behaves when it is in motion or at rest. The first law, often referred to as the law of inertia, states that an object in motion will remain in motion unless acted upon by an external force. This principle is crucial for understanding how a body travels through the air, as it signifies that various forces such as thrust, drag, lift, and weight will influence the object’s flight trajectory.

The second law, which relates force, mass, and acceleration, further elucidates how a net force acting on an object results in an acceleration that alters its path. In flight, these principles combine to dictate how an object (like an airplane or a projectile) will respond to the forces acting upon it, thereby determining its overall trajectory through the air.

Understanding the influence of motion and the relationship between forces is fundamental in fields such as physics and aerospace engineering, making Newton's Laws essential for analyzing and predicting the motion of objects in flight.