Inertia

Tendency of an object to resist changes in its motion.

inertial property resistance to motion change

Inertia is the property of matter by which it remains at rest or continues moving uniformly in a straight line unless acted upon by an external force.

Pronunciation

/ɪnˈɜːʃə/

Etymology

Inertia comes from the Latin 'iners,' meaning sluggish or idle.

Explain Like I’m 5

Inertia is like when you're on a skateboard and try to stop suddenly - your body wants to keep moving forward.

Fun Facts

Newton's first law of motion describes inertia
A hockey puck slides across ice due to inertia
Inertia is why seatbelts are important

FAQ

What is inertia? It's an object's resistance to changes in its motion
Does mass affect inertia? Yes, more massive objects have greater inertia
Is inertia a force? No, it's a property of matter

Hypernyms — Broader Categories

Physics

Indexes

mathematical property physical concept physical phenomenon

Displacement
Force
Friction
Magnetism
Movement

Built by Tim Jones