moment of inertia

noun phrase

: a measure of the resistance of a body to angular acceleration about a given axis that is equal to the sum of the products of each element of mass in the body and the square of the element's distance from the axis

Examples of moment of inertia in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

So in this version, the company created a larger footprint with a deeper center of gravity, boosting the club's moment of inertia without compromising its ability to sweep shots cleanly off the ground. — Scott Kramer, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026

This therefore changes Saturn's moment of inertia, which takes it marginally out of resonance with Neptune's orbit. — Keith Cooper, Space.com, 17 Feb. 2026

Cheetahs have tapered limbs with a lower moment of inertia, which should make running more efficient. — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 11 Feb. 2026

This is because the bike wheel has a lower moment of inertia. — Rhett Allain, Wired News, 14 Nov. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1830, in the meaning defined above