Which of the following actions illustrates Newton's 1st Law?

Newton's 1st 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 in motion with a constant velocity unless acted upon by a net external force. The scenario of a book sitting on a table perfectly illustrates this law because the book is at rest and remains so unless a force is applied to it, such as someone pushing it or lifting it. This situation demonstrates the absence of any net external force acting on the book, exemplifying inertia.

In contrast, the other choices involve actions where external forces are acting on the objects. A car suddenly stopping shows the result of applying brakes, which is a force acting to decelerate the car. A ball thrown straight up is subject to a force due to gravity acting on it, which ultimately alters its motion trajectory. A person pushing a stationary box involves external force being applied to move the box from rest. Each of these scenarios departs from the state of rest or uniform motion described in Newton's 1st Law.