57.9k views
4 votes
Inertia is defined as :

Force

Mass

Change in acceleration

Weight

2 Answers

2 votes

Final answer:

Inertia is the tendency of an object to remain at rest or in uniform motion unless acted upon by an external force. It is a fundamental concept in Newton's first law of motion and is directly related to mass, measured in kilograms.

Step-by-step explanation:

Inertia is defined as the resistance of any physical object to a change in its velocity. This property means that a body at rest will stay at rest, and a body in motion will remain in motion with a constant velocity unless acted upon by a net external force. This principle is encapsulated in Newton's first law of motion, often termed the law of inertia. It is directly related to the object's mass, which is the quantity of matter in a substance and is measured in kilograms (kg). Unlike weight, which can change with the gravitational field, mass does not depend on gravity and is constant across different environments. Therefore, inertial mass is a measure of how difficult it is to change the motion of an object. An object with greater mass possesses greater inertia, making it harder to alter its state of motion.

User Thibaud Clement
by
8.6k points
5 votes

Answer:

Mass

I would like to note that mass is related to an objects inertia, it is not necessarily "defined" by it. Not sure I like the wording of this question.

Step-by-step explanation:

Inertia, in physics, is most accurately defined as the resistance of an object to any change in its velocity. This includes changes to the object's speed or direction of motion. It is directly related to the mass of the object; the greater the mass, the greater the inertia. Therefore, from the options provided, "Mass" is the best choice to define inertia.

  • Force is an external influence that can change the state of rest or motion of a body, but it is not a measure of inertia.
  • Change in acceleration is a result of the application of force but does not define inertia.
  • Weight is the force exerted by gravity on an object and is distinct from inertia, although it is related to mass.

Thus, the second option is correct.

User Benjamin Kadish
by
8.6k points