SITUATION 1 Have you ever stood in a bus which starts suddenly from rest?

You are likely to fall backwards. If the moving bus stops suddenly, you are likely to fall forward. SITUATION 2 Have you noticed that a bigger vehicle (Truck) is more difficult to stop than a light vehicle (Motorcycle)? What Causes This to Happen?

Explanation: When the bus moves suddenly from rest, our feet are carried forward but the inertia of our body tends to keep us at rest. This causes our body to fall backwards. When the bus stops suddenly, our feet are brought to rest, but the inertia of our body tends to continue its forward motion. This causes our body to fall forward.

IMPORTANT

The inertia of an object is the tendency of the object to remain at rest or, if moving, to continue its uniform motion in a straight line.

The concept of inertia was explained by Sir Isaac Newton in the first law of motion.

EXAMPLE OF INERTIA

Both the car and driver travelling with very high speed. When the car stopped suddenly, the inertia of the driver caused him to be thrown forward, thus injuring himself.

When the book is pulled out horizontally with a quick jerk, the book above tend to stay at rest due to its inertia.

The coin hovers over the top of the glass for an instant before dropping into the glass. This is because of its inertia.

INERTIA AND MASS

It is more difficult to move a lorry than a bicycle when both are initially at rest. The lorry has more inertia than a bicycle. The inertia of a body increases when its mass increase.

WAYS TO REDUCE THE NEGATIVE EFFECT OF INERTIA.

Ways to reduce inertia in vehicle:

1. Seat belts help to tighten the passenger during collision. This is to prevent the passenger from being thrown forward due to inertia. 2. Air bag is fitted inside the steering wheel. It provides a cushion to prevent the driver from hitting the steering wheel.

EXERCISES

1. Fred spends most Sunday afternoons at rest on the sofa, watching pro football games and consuming large quantities of food. What effect (if any) does this practice have upon his inertia? Explain.

ANSWER:
Fred's inertia will increase! Fred will increase his mass if he makes a habit of this. And if his mass increases, then his inertia increases.

2.

Supposing you were in space in a weightless environment, would it require a force to set an object in motion?

ANSWER
Absolutely yes! Even in space objects have mass. And if they have mass, they have inertia. That is, an object in space resists changes in its state of motion. A force must be applied to set a stationary object in motion. Newton's laws rule - everywhere!

Mac and Tosh are arguing in the cafeteria. Mac says that if he flings the Jell-O with a greater speed it will have a greater inertia. Tosh argues that inertia does not depend upon speed, but rather upon mass. Who do you agree with? Explain why.

ANSWER

Tosh is correct. Inertia is that quantity which depends solely upon mass. The more mass, the more inertia. Momentum is another quantity in Physics which depends on both mass and speed. Momentum will be discussed in a later unit.