The concept of inertia and momentum are regularly confused because of their similar definitions. Inertia is the resistance offered by a body to the motion whereas momentum is the tendency of a body to continue moving. Let us look at the differences between the two to understand the concept better.
Difference between Momentum and Inertia
| Momentum | Inertia |
|---|---|
|
Momentum is a vector quantity as it the tendency of a body to remain in motion. |
Inertia is a scalar quantity as it is the resistance offered by the body to motion. |
|
Momentum is denoted as ‘p’. |
Inertia is denoted as ‘I’. |
|
The momentum of a body of mass ‘m’ moving with a velocity of ‘v’ is calculated as p=m×v |
The inertia cannot be calculated using a formula. |
|
Linear momentum and angular momentum are the two types of momentum. |
Inertia of rest, inertia of motion and inertia of direction are the three types of inertia. |
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Momentum depends on mass and velocity. |
Inertia depends only on mass. |
|
The total momentum is conserved. |
Inertia has nothing to do with the conservation of energy. |
The difference between between momentum and inertia should be understood clearly as these are an important topic in Physics. To Know more about momentum and inertia, Visit BYJU’S.