moment of inertia

American  

noun

Physics.

1. the sum of the products of the mass and the square of the perpendicular distance to the axis of rotation of each particle in a body rotating about an axis.

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moment of inertia British  

noun

1.  I.  the tendency of a body to resist angular acceleration, expressed as the sum of the products of the mass of each particle in the body and the square of its perpendicular distance from the axis of rotation

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moment of inertia Scientific  

/ mō′mənt /

1. A measure of a body's resistance to angular acceleration, equal to the product of the mass of the body and the square of its distance from the axis of rotation.

2. See also angular momentum torque

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Etymology

Origin of moment of inertia

First recorded in 1820–30

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

moment of inertia

To do this, felines exploit the physical laws of classical mechanics: by placing their front paws close to their body, they reduce their moment of inertia.

From Scientific American ● Jul. 24, 2023

They stretch their legs to create as large a moment of inertia as possible.

From Scientific American ● Jul. 24, 2023

The mass is the same in both cases; but the moment of inertia is much larger when the children are at the edge.

From Textbooks ● Aug. 12, 2015

Because of the distance r , the moment of inertia for any object depends on the chosen axis.

From Textbooks ● Aug. 12, 2015

Single needles are never used, two being the least number, and these so arranged that the moment of inertia about every diameter of the card shall be the same.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 6, Slice 7 "Columbus" to "Condottiere" by Various