Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated September 2025
Verified for the 2026 exam
Verified for the 2026 exam•Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated September 2025
Definition
Inertial mass refers to the measure of an object's resistance to changes in its motion. It determines how difficult it is for an external force to accelerate or decelerate an object.
Gravitational mass refers to the measure of an object's response to the force of gravity. It determines how strongly an object is attracted towards another object due to gravity.
Newton's Second Law states that the acceleration of an object is directly proportional to the net force acting on it and inversely proportional to its inertial mass. It can be mathematically expressed as F = ma, where F represents the net force, m represents the inertial mass, and a represents the acceleration.
Momentum is a property of moving objects and depends on both mass and velocity. It describes how difficult it is to stop or change the motion of an object. The momentum of an object can be calculated using the formula p = mv, where p represents momentum, m represents mass, and v represents velocity.