Home > Science Fact Finder > Chemistry and Physics - What Is Inertia?
Chemistry and Physics - What Is Inertia?
What is inertia?
Inertia is a tendency of all objects and matter in the universe to remain still, or, if moving, to continue moving in the same direction unless acted on by some outside force. This constitutes the first law of motion, formulated by the famed English mathematician and astronomer (a scientist specializing in the study of matter in outer space) Isaac Newton (1642-1727). To move an object that is at rest, enough external force must be applied to overcome the object's inertia. The larger a still object is, the more force is required to move it.
In his Philosophae Naturalis Principia Mathematica, published in 1687, Newton sets forth his three laws of motion. Newton's second law is that the force needed to move a still object is equal to its mass (total amount of matter in an object) times its acceleration (F = MA). The third law states that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.
...[The entire page is 213 words long]
Join eNotes
Over 3,500 study guides, question and answer forums, literature criticism, reference content, and much more!
Navigate
- Chemists And Chemical Principles
-
Physicists And Physical Principles
- Who is generally regarded as the person who discovered the electron, the proton, and the neutron?
- What is the speed of light?
- What were some of the leading contributions of Albert Einstein?
- What is inertia?
- Who is generally regarded as the founder of quantum mechanics?
- Who is the founder of the science of magnetism?
- How is ''absolute zero" defined?
- Who invented the thermometer?
- What is the Kelvin temperature scale and how does it compare with Celsius and Fahrenheit scales?
- What is an adiabatic process?
- Why does a boomerang return to its thrower?
- Does water running down a drain rotate in a different direction in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres?
- What is a Leyden jar?
-
Chemical Elements
- What are the two most abundant chemical elements on Earth?
- Who developed the periodic table?
- What are the alkali metalls?
- What are the alkaline earth metals?
- Which elements are liquid at room temperature?
- What are the transition elements?
- What are some chemical elements whose symbols are not derived from their English names?
- Which elements have the most isotopes?
- Which chemical element is the most abundant one in the universe?
- What is heavy water?
- Matter
-
Light And Sound
- Is light made of waves or particles?
- Does hot water freeze faster than cold water?
- What are the colors in light?
- Why does the color of clothing appear different in direct light than it does under fluorescent lignt?
- What is the speed of sound?
- What causes the sounds that are heard in a seashell?
- What is a decibel?
- What is the Doppler effect?
- Terms And Measurements
