Is Inertia Caused by an Object's Mass and Gravitational Force?

  • Context: High School 
  • Thread starter Thread starter member 609718
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Inertia
Click For Summary

Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the relationship between inertia, mass, and gravitational force. Participants explore whether inertia is a result of an object's mass exerting gravitational force on itself, and they delve into the historical and conceptual understanding of inertia.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants propose that inertia may be linked to the gravitational force an object exerts on itself.
  • Others argue that any force an object exerts on itself does not influence its ease of movement.
  • A participant notes the etymology of "inert," suggesting it means "no go," and questions its connection to mass.
  • Another participant points out that the concept of inertia predates scientific definitions of mass, emphasizing that it is based on observational facts and suggesting that the reasons behind inertia may be unanswerable.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the relationship between inertia and mass, with no consensus reached on the underlying causes of inertia.

Contextual Notes

Some claims rely on specific interpretations of gravitational force and self-interaction, while others highlight the historical context of the concept of inertia, indicating potential limitations in definitions and assumptions.

member 609718
Is it because the mass of a given object exerts a gravitational force upon itself?
 
Physics news on Phys.org
davidbrown said:
Is it because the mass of a given object exerts a gravitational force upon itself?
Any force of an object on itself (like your left hand pushing on your right) has no effect on how easy it is to move the object.
 
Again, "inert" is Latin. It means "no go". There is no connection to the word "mas"
 
The concept of inertia existed as in 'things don't move unless something makes them move', before any scientific idea of mass.
That is a matter of observation of fact; 'why are things like that?' is probably not answerable.
 

Similar threads

Undergrad Cavendish balance and mass of objects
  • · Replies 6 ·
Replies
6
Views
1K
High School Inertia of a rolling dumbell
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
2K
High School Why Is an Object's Weight Equal to the Force of Gravity It Experiences?
  • · Replies 51 ·
2
Replies
51
Views
5K
High School A universe where Zeno is right and the law of inertia still holds
  • · Replies 6 ·
Replies
6
Views
1K
Graduate Why does mass/energy have inertia?
  • · Replies 22 ·
Replies
22
Views
3K
Graduate The Effects of Incredibly Small Inertia on Acceleration: A Scientific Inquiry
  • · Replies 11 ·
Replies
11
Views
2K
Graduate Is inertia the total gravitational forces of the Universe?
  • · Replies 6 ·
Replies
6
Views
2K
Undergrad About acceleration and mass....
  • · Replies 5 ·
Replies
5
Views
1K
Undergrad Gravitational Force Calculation w/ Superposition Principle
  • · Replies 14 ·
Replies
14
Views
2K
High School Inertial Mass vs Gravitational Mass
  • · Replies 6 ·
Replies
6
Views
1K