Quantumgravity said:Does inertia apply to EVERYTHING in the universe? Even subatomic particles? Or is there a certain mass limit where something no longer has the property of inertia?
Quantumgravity said:Does inertia just mean that it takes energy to move a mass?
arunma said:Of course, there are some particles which physicists believe do not have mass. Neutrinos are an example that comes to mind.
jtbell said:Nope, for the past several years it's been widely accepted that neutrinos do have a very small mass (a few eV or less). It's studied via neutrino oscillations.
The only massless particles now, so far as I know, are the photon, the gluons, and the graviton (if it exists).
But why don't photons have kinetic energy?
Inertia is a property of matter that describes its resistance to changes in motion. This means that an object will stay at rest or continue moving in a straight line, unless acted upon by an external force. In the universe, inertia plays a crucial role in the movement and behavior of all objects, from planets and stars to subatomic particles.
Yes, inertia applies to all objects in the universe. This includes both macroscopic objects, such as planets and galaxies, as well as microscopic objects, such as atoms and subatomic particles. Inertia is a fundamental property of matter and is observed at all scales in the universe.
Inertia determines how objects will behave when a force is applied to them. If an object has a large inertia, it will require a greater force to change its motion compared to an object with a smaller inertia. This is why it is more difficult to change the motion of larger objects, such as planets, compared to smaller objects, such as baseballs.
Yes, inertia applies to subatomic particles as well. Although they are incredibly small, subatomic particles still have mass and therefore exhibit inertia. In fact, the concept of inertia was first observed and studied in relation to the movement of subatomic particles.
Yes, inertia can be observed in many everyday situations. For example, when a car suddenly stops, passengers inside will continue to move forward due to their inertia, until they are stopped by the seatbelt or airbag. Similarly, when a ball is thrown, it will continue to move in a straight line until it is acted upon by gravity or friction. These are just a few examples of how inertia affects objects in our daily lives.