Definition, Meaning & Synonyms

moment-of-inertia

noun

/ˈmoʊmənt əv ɪˈnɜːrʃə/

Definition

A quantitative measure of the rotational inertia of a body, indicating how difficult it is to change its state of rotation about a specific axis.

Examples

The moment of inertia for a flat disk is calculated using the formula I = 1/2 m r².
A higher moment of inertia means that more torque is required to achieve the same angular acceleration.
In structural engineering, the moment of inertia affects the bending and deflection of beams.

Meaning

Moment of inertia is an important factor in physics and engineering, used to predict how much torque is needed for a desired angular acceleration around a rotational axis.