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

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In summary, the conversation discusses the concept of inertia and its relationship to mass and gravitational force. It is noted that the force of an object on itself has no effect on its movement, and the Latin word "inert" means "no go". The idea of inertia existed before the scientific understanding of mass, and the question of why things behave in this way remains unanswered.
  • #1
member 609718
Is it because the mass of a given object exerts a gravitational force upon itself?
 
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  • #2
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.
 
  • #3
Again, "inert" is Latin. It means "no go". There is no connection to the word "mas"
 
  • #4
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.
 

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

1. What is inertia?

Inertia is the tendency of an object to resist changes in its state of motion. This means that an object at rest will remain at rest and an object in motion will continue moving in the same direction and at the same speed unless acted upon by an external force.

2. Why do objects have inertia?

Objects have inertia because of the first law of motion, also known as the law of inertia, proposed by Sir Isaac Newton. This law states that an object will maintain its state of motion unless acted upon by an external force. Inertia is a property of matter and all objects, regardless of their size or shape, possess inertia.

3. How does the mass of an object affect its inertia?

The mass of an object directly affects its inertia. The greater the mass of an object, the greater its inertia. This means that it will require more force to change the state of motion of a heavier object compared to a lighter object.

4. Does the shape of an object affect its inertia?

Yes, the shape of an object can affect its inertia. Objects with irregular shapes or distributed mass have a higher moment of inertia, making it more difficult to change their state of motion compared to objects with a smaller moment of inertia, such as a sphere or a cube.

5. Can an object's inertia be altered?

An object's inertia cannot be altered, but it can be affected by external forces. For example, if an object is in motion and a force is applied in the opposite direction, the object's inertia will cause it to resist the change in motion. However, if the force is strong enough, it can overcome the object's inertia and change its state of motion.

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