Inertial Mass
Definition
Inertial mass refers to the measure of an object's resistance to changes in its motion. It determines how difficult it is for an external force to accelerate or decelerate an object.
Analogy
Imagine pushing a shopping cart with different amounts of stuff inside it. The harder it is for you to change its speed or direction, the higher its inertial mass. Similarly, objects with greater inertial masses require more force for any change in their motion.
Related terms
Gravitational Mass: Gravitational mass refers to the measure of an object's response to the force of gravity. It determines how strongly an object is attracted towards another object due to gravity.
Newton's Second Law of Motion: Newton's Second Law states that the acceleration of an object is directly proportional to the net force acting on it and inversely proportional to its inertial mass. It can be mathematically expressed as F = ma, where F represents the net force, m represents the inertial mass, and a represents the acceleration.
Momentum: Momentum is a property of moving objects and depends on both mass and velocity. It describes how difficult it is to stop or change the motion of an object. The momentum of an object can be calculated using the formula p = mv, where p represents momentum, m represents mass, and v represents velocity.
"Inertial Mass" appears in:
Subjects (1)
Study guides (2)
Practice Questions (4)
- The inertial mass of an object is always ______ the gravitational mass of the same object.
- Inertial mass can be calculated with the equation
- For a given force, larger inertial masses will experience ______ acceleration.
- For a given force, smaller inertial masses will experience ______ acceleration.
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