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The Epic Interactive Encyclopedia 1998
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Epic Interactive Encyclopedia, The - 1998 Edition (1998)(Epic Marketing).iso
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Moment_of_inertia
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INFOTEXT
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1992-09-01
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In physics, the sum of all the point masses
of a rotating object multiplied by the
squares of their respective distances from
the axis of rotation. It is analogous to the
mass of a stationary object or one moving in
a straight line. In linear dynamics, Newton's
second law of motion states that the force F
on a moving object equals the products of its
mass m and acceleration a (F = ma); the
analagous equation in rotational dynamics is
T = I`ALPHA', where T is the torque (the
turning effect of a force) that causes an
angular acceleration `ALPHA' and I is the
moment of inertia. For a given object, I
depends on its shape and the position of its
axis of rotation.