What is Inertia ?

In common language we sometimes use the words mass and weight interchangeably. However, there is a difference between the two. The mass is actually a measure of matter contained in an object.

Inertia in moving objects means that an object that is moving in a straight line at constant speed will continue to move in the same direction and with the same speed unless an external force is applied to it.

The result of applying an external force to an object in uniform motion, depending on the direction of the force applied, will be to change the speed, or direction of movement, or both.

The concept pf inertia was first introduced by Sir Issac Newton in his First Law of Motion. This law states that a body will continue to remain in its state of rest or uniform motion unless acted upon by an external force.

Inertia is a property of matter that causes it to resist changes in velocity (speed and/or direction).

According to Newton's first law of motion, an object with a given velocity maintains that velocity unless acted on by an external force. Inertia is the property of matter that makes this law hold true.

The amount of inertia that an object possesses is proportional to its mass .

However, inertia is not the same thing as mass or momentum (the product of velocity and mass).

The mass of an object can be measured by observing the extent of its inertia.