inertial frame of reference
Also known as inertial reference frame, inertial frame, inertial space, Galilean reference frame
frame of reference not undergoing acceleration
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An inertial frame of reference is a perspective or viewpoint from which objects that have no forces acting on them appear to move at constant velocity or remain still. It matters because the laws of physics work the same way in all inertial frames, which is why scientists use them as a standard baseline for measuring and understanding motion.
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In classical physics and special relativity, an inertial frame of reference (also called an inertial space or a Galilean reference frame) is a frame of reference in which objects exhibit inertia: they remain at rest or in uniform motion relative to the frame until acted upon by external forces. In such a frame, the laws of nature can be observed without the need to correct for acceleration.
All frames of reference with zero acceleration are in a state of constant rectilinear motion (straight-line motion) with respect to one another. In such a frame, an object with zero net force acting on it, is perceived to move with a constant velocity, or, equivalently, Newton's first law of motion holds. Such frames are known as inertial. Some physicists, like Isaac Newton, originally thought that one of these frames was absolute — the one approximated by the fixed stars. However, this is not required for the definition, and it is now known that those stars are in fact moving, relative to one another.