Moment of inertia

The moment of inertia is a measure of how difficult it is to change the rotation rate of a rigid body about a given axis. It is the ratio between the torque applied and the resulting angular acceleration about that axis. It plays the same role in rotational motion as mass does in linear motion.

A body's moment of inertia about a particular axis depends on both the mass and its distribution relative to the axis, increasing with mass and distance from the axis.

Back to Mechanical Fundamentals →

Source: Wikipedia · Image: Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0

MECHKIT

Mechanical know-how, applied — fasteners, torque, tolerances, and the DIY mechanics toolkit.

Get new guides by emailOccasional emails. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.

InformationAbout Contact Privacy Policy Terms of Service Disclaimer Affiliate Disclosure Cookie Policy

Every entry, image, and fact is drawn from Wikipedia and Wikimedia Commons, used under public-domain and Creative Commons licenses. No content is AI-generated.