A sheet of paper can be withdrawn from under a container of milk without toppling it if the paper is jerked quickly.This best demonstrates that
A)the milk carton has no acceleration.
B)there is an action-reaction pair of forces.
C)gravity tends to hold the milk carton secure.
D)the milk carton has inertia.
E)none of these

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

This phenomenon is due to the milk carton's inertia, which is the tendency of an object to resist a change in its state of motion. When the paper is quickly jerked out from under the carton, the paper's frictional force is not enough to overcome the inertia of the milk carton and cause it to tip over. This demonstrates the principle of inertia. None of the other choices explain this phenomenon.

A Sheet of Paper Can Be Withdrawn from Under a Container