Question

What is Aristotle's conclusion about the natural state of an object?

Answer 1

Use the concept of the different type of motion and use the description or statement as given by different scientists on motion. Define the natural state of motion and violent motion as stated by Aristotle.

Complete step by step solution:
To understand Aristotle’s definition of motion first we need to know that he means by actuality and potentiality. Aristotle defined the motions into two types that are shown below.
Natural State Motion
Violent Motion
Any motion without being forced that an object does naturally is known as the natural state motion, the examples for natural motion are as follows.
A plate lying at rest on a table naturally remains at rest.
If we let go of an object it naturally falls toward the earth.
A motion that requires force is described as “violent motion”, some examples of this motion are as follows.
Lifting an object.
Pushing an object along a surface.
So, as per above explanation Aristotle concluded that an object like a ball stay in motion only if it gets some force, but the object or ball will come at the state of rest if it is not forced or pushed.
So, the natural state of motion is the state of “rest”.
In this motion Galileo stated that every object continues in its state of uniform velocity or rest in a straight line as long as no net force will act on it and this description stated the first law of motion given by Newton.

Hence, Aristotle's conclusion about the natural state of an object is explained above.

Note: The statement of first law of Newton is described that the object or any element remains at rest or in a uniform motion until an external force is not applied on it. It is normally taken as the definition of inertia.