Questions tagged [inertia]
Inertia is the tendency of a body to oppose changes to its state of motion. DO NOT USE THIS TAG for moment of inertia or inertia tensor!
467
questions
0
votes
7
answers
848
views
Why does "net force" being zero not mean that the parachuter becomes stationary in the atmosphere?
Take the typical phyiscs / classical mechanics example of a parachuter descending at constant speed. The two forces acting on the parachuter are weight, which has direction towards the ground, and air ...
- 899
1
vote
6
answers
598
views
What happens to the acceleration from an initial force according to the law of inertia?
Say we hit a golf ball with a club. Hitting the ball requires a force = m*a. According to the law of inertia, velocity should be constant, but how can that velocity be constant if we hit the golf ball ...
- 45
1
vote
1
answer
64
views
Taking drag into consideration, how does mass affect horizontal range given that the impulse applied is always the same? [closed]
If two objects, one light and one heavy but otherwise identical, are given the same impulse from rest and begin to travel horizontally through a resistive fluid, which object makes it farther?
- 11
7
votes
4
answers
2k
views
In the Langevin dynamics: neglecting inertia. A mathematician trying to understand physics terminology
If we write the Langevin equation: for a particle with mass $m$, position $x$ and velocity $v$, with some damping coefficient $\gamma$,
$$ m dV(t)=-\gamma V(t)dt+dW(t) ,~~~~~~~dX(t)=V(t)dt.$$
Then as $...
- 265
2
votes
2
answers
213
views
Why are there so many fundamental differences between contact forces and gravity?
I had this very fruitful conversation about the inertial motion of charged particles on gravitational/electric fields.
A field force like gravity, can't be felt, it does not produce proper ...
- 350
1
vote
2
answers
208
views
Is the motion of an electron bound into an atom inertial?
When a particle moves on a gravitational potential subject to no contact and tidal forces, the particule clearly is in inertial movement.
But what about the "motion" of an electron bound ...
- 350
2
votes
3
answers
163
views
Equivalence principle, geodesics, and proper acceleration are exclusive to general relativity, or they can be understood in classical mechanics terms?
I have been told that "inertial movements, or distinction between proper and coordinate acceleration don't have meaning out of GR".
But now I'm confused, I always though of these concepts in ...
- 350
-1
votes
3
answers
464
views
Which is true: objects keep spinning because of inertia, or objects keep spinning because of centripetal force?
I'm hoping any gravity or friction can be ignored.
I gather a spinning object is a non-inertial frame. I suppose that's because change of direction is acceleration. Continued acceleration requires ...
user326693
1
vote
2
answers
166
views
Inertial movement of a body on the surface of a planet being dragged away
When we stand still on the surface of Earth, this is clearly a non-inertial frame.
Inertial frames of reference are characterized by accelerometers measuring zero, so you fell weightless when you: 1) ...
- 350
1
vote
2
answers
111
views
Has anyone directly observed the equivalence of inertial and gravitational mass for the electromagnetic force?
Before someone tells me to drop a bowling ball and feather off the Leaning Tower of Pisa in a vacuum, let me point out that, in general relativity, you can't deduce anything about either mass of a ...
- 2,475
-2
votes
2
answers
1k
views
Why is a larger force needed when you decrease the distance in regards of torque? [closed]
I think it's because of inertia.
- 107
0
votes
1
answer
329
views
Torque and moment of inertia with bikes
Can someboby please explain to me why it is better for a bicycle/ motor cycle to have lower center of mass when it rounds a turn.
What I could gather from the rule I = mr2
Was that the arm is shorter ...
- 1
25
votes
7
answers
3k
views
How many types of inertia are there?
I was looking for types of inertia, but I am confused. My book says there are three types of inertia, namely inertia of rest, inertia of motion, and inertia of direction. But when I searched for these ...
- 1,357
1
vote
1
answer
102
views
Gravitational and inertial mass seem to result from different fields, yet virtually the same. How do new physics theories attempt to reconcile this?
As best I understand it, internal mass (at rest) is due to interactions of particles with the Higgs field, and in equation terms, due to various chiral terms, sometimes described as swapping chirality....
- 4,241
11
votes
4
answers
4k
views
Why can we calculate moment of inertia, but not inertia?
I'm learning about rotational motion and the moment of inertia. Unlike inertia that I learned before, there is a formula to calculate rotational inertia. I'm having trouble understanding why it's ...
- 311