What describes a situation where a particle remains at rest?

A particle remains at rest when the total forces acting on it are balanced. This is grounded in Newton's First Law of Motion, which states that an object at rest will stay at rest unless acted upon by a net external force. When the forces are balanced, the net force is zero, meaning there is no unbalanced force to cause the particle to move. Consequently, the particle does not accelerate or change its state of motion, thus it remains at rest.

In contrast, a particle that is accelerating in a circular path is in motion, and it experiences a net force directed towards the center of the circular path, indicating that it is not at rest. Zero momentum implies that the object could be at rest, but it does not specifically describe the condition of remaining at rest; it simply states that there is no movement. Having non-zero velocity means the particle is definitely in motion and not at rest. Therefore, the definition of a balanced force leading to a particle at rest is the most accurate and relevant to this scenario.