What does Newton's first law state about balanced forces?

Newton's first law of motion, often referred to as the law of inertia, states that an object at rest will remain at rest, and an object in motion will continue to move at a constant velocity, unless acted upon by a net external force. When forces acting on an object are balanced, they cancel each other out, resulting in no net force. This condition allows the object to either remain stationary or continue moving at a constant speed in a straight line. Therefore, the presence of balanced forces directly leads to the state of constant velocity as there are no unopposed forces to alter the object's motion.

Understanding this principle is crucial because it highlights the significance of balanced forces in maintaining the current state of an object, whether it is at rest or moving uniformly. The concept of inertia becomes a fundamental aspect of understanding motion, emphasizing that changes in an object's velocity require an unbalanced force to be applied.