The intrinsic tendency of an object to resist any change in its state of motion, whether at rest or moving.
Heavy things are stubborn—hard to start moving, hard to stop.
Showing a random 20 of 50 problems.
Example 1
easy
Compare a 0.5 kg tennis ball and a 7 kg bowling ball. Which has more inertia?
Example 2
easy
Why does a heavy truck need a longer distance to stop than a light car at the same speed?
Example 3
easy
Which is harder to stop: a 2 kg cart or a 10 kg cart at the same speed?
Example 4
medium
A 10 kg object on frictionless ice moves at 3 m/s. What force keeps it at 3 m/s?
Example 5
medium
Which has more inertia: a 3 kg ball moving at 20 m/s or a 5 kg ball at rest?
Example 6
medium
On a frictionless turntable, a small object rests near the center and is then placed near the edge. Which location takes more centripetal force to keep the object moving in a circle when the turntable spins?
Example 7
easy
A 2 kg book and a 10 kg box are both at rest on a frictionless table. The same force of 5 N is applied to each. Which object is harder to accelerate, and what is each object's acceleration?Same 5 N force applied to both objects — more mass means more resistance to acceleration
Example 8
easy
Why is the dust on a rug knocked loose when the rug is shaken sharply?
Example 9
challenge
Why is rotational inertia (moment of inertia) different from translational inertia, and what does it depend on besides mass?
Example 10
challenge
A 1200 kg car and a 2400 kg truck both brake with a 6000 N force from 20 m/s. Compare their stopping times.6000 N on 1200 kg car → stops in 4 s; same force on 2400 kg truck → stops in 8 s — double the inertia, double the stopping time
Example 11
medium
Why do passengers in a turning bus sway outward?
Example 12
easy
Is inertia a force?
Example 13
medium
Why does a passenger sway sideways when a car turns sharply?
Example 14
easy
What property of an object measures its inertia?
Example 15
medium
A book sits on a tablecloth. Why is it easier to pull the cloth out quickly than slowly?
Example 16
easy
Which of Newton's laws is sometimes called the law of inertia?
Example 17
easy
If two objects feel the same net force, which gains speed faster: the one with more or less inertia?
Example 18
medium
A 2 kg block and a 10 kg block both at rest are pushed by the same constant 4 N force for 3 s. Compare their final speeds.
Example 19
medium
On a frictionless surface, a 5 kg box moves at 4 m/s. What force is needed to keep it moving at that speed?Zero net force → constant velocity at 4 m/s; inertia sustains motion without any applied force
Example 20
medium
A 10 kg object on frictionless ice is given a quick push and slides at 4 m/s for 30 s. What force acts on it during the slide (after the push)?