The dictionary definition of inertia is the property of matter by which it retains its state of rest or its velocity along a straight line so long as it is not acted upon by an external force. In the picture above, I created a home example to better describe how inertia works. In the picture to the right, a bottle cap is at rest on top of a post card. In the picture there are two forces acting upon the bottle cap, the weight that is going down (g down) and the N (normal force that pushes upward). It will continue to stay at rest due to these two balanced forces until an outside force acts upon it. As I quickly move the post card, the bottle cap falls into the cup. Hence, the reason for the change in velocity when an external force is acted upon it.
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