moment of inertia

noun

, Physics.

1. the sum of the products of the mass and the square of the perpendicular distance to the axis of rotation of each particle in a body rotating about an axis.

moment of inertia

noun

1. the tendency of a body to resist angular acceleration, expressed as the sum of the products of the mass of each particle in the body and the square of its perpendicular distance from the axis of rotation I

moment of inertia

/ mō′mənt /

1. A measure of a body's resistance to angular acceleration, equal to the product of the mass of the body and the square of its distance from the axis of rotation.
2. See also angular momentum

Word History and Origins

Origin of moment of inertia¹

First recorded in 1820–30

Example Sentences

To do this, felines exploit the physical laws of classical mechanics: by placing their front paws close to their body, they reduce their moment of inertia.

From Scientific American

They stretch their legs to create as large a moment of inertia as possible.

From Scientific American

Exactly, the actual physics behind that is: you’re reducing your moment of inertia, which increases your rotational velocity.

From Scientific American

“We’re measuring a property called the moment of inertia,” Dr. Lauretta said.

From New York Times

That boosts the moment of inertia and helps mitigate the effect of a poor shot.

From Golf Digest