PHYSICS FORM 4

FORCE & MOTION 1

2.4 INERTIA
 2.4 INERTIA
LEARNING STANDARD
Student is able to:
2.4.1 Explain with examples the concept
of inertia
2.4.2 Experiment to find the relationship
between inertia and mass
2.4.3 Justify the effects of inertia in daily
life
 A man wishes to pull a table cloth without toppling things on top of the table
cloth. How can he do it?
He jerks a table cloth very quickly How the things remain stationary even
without moving the things on the though the table cloth below is jerked?
table.
Have you ever stood in a
bus which starts suddenly
from rest? You are likely
to fall backwards. Why?
Rajah 1

If the moving bus stops

suddenly, you are likely to
fall forward. What causes
this to happen?

This is due to Inertia Rajah 2

LEARNING
STANDARD 1
2.4.1 Explain with
examples the concept
of inertia
Observe the passengers in the moving bus?
What happened to the passengers in the bus?
What happened to the passengers in the bus?
The passengers were thrown forward. Why?
When the bus was
moving, the
passengers were
also moving at the
same speed as the
bus.
When the bus
stopped, the
passengers
continued moving.
Hence, they were thrown forward.
What happened to the people in the car?
Their heads were thrown back when the car started moving.
What is similar about
the passengers in the
car and the passengers
in the bus?
The passengers in the
bus continued moving
forward although the
bus has stopped
moving.

The people in the car tried In both situations, the

to remain at rest when the passengers were resisting a
car started moving. change in their state of motion.
INERTIA
The tendency of the object to
remain at rest or, if moving, to
continue its uniform motion in a
straight line.
 NEWTON’S FIRST LAW OF MOTION

Every object continues in its state

of rest, or of uniform motion in a
straight line, unless it is acted on by
an external force.
1. An object at rest 2. An object in motion
will remains at will continue with
rest constant speed and
direction
….unless acted on
by an unbalanced …..unless acted on
force by an unbalanced
force
Activity 1 Aim: To do activities involving inertia
1. Place a cardboard on top of a glass and
put a coin. Flick the card horizontally
with your finger. What happens to the
coin? Explain the observation.

• When the cardboard is

pulled away quickly, the
coin drops straight into the
glass
• The inertia of the coin
maintains its state at rest.
The coin falls into the glass
due to gravity.
Activity 1 Aim: To do activities involving inertia
2. Place a glass of water on a piece of A4
paper. What will happen to the glass of
water if you suddenly pull the paper
horizontally. Explain your observation.

• The glass of water stays at

rest.
• The inertia of the glass
with water wants to
remain at rest.
• So it will still stationary
without following the
paper.
Activity 1 Aim: To do activities involving inertia
3. Place a block of wood on top of a
trolley. Let the trolley moves down the
runway. Stop the motion of the trolley
with a book. Observe what happens to
the wooden block. Explain.
The wooden block fall forward.

The wooden block moves together with the

trolley. When the trolley stopped by the
book, the inertia of the wooden block wants
to remain moving forward. So it fall forward
when the trolley stops.
Activity 1 Aim: To do activities involving inertia
4. Use a hammer to pulled out a
wooden block from its central
location. What happen to the other
wooden blocks on top of the block
which is pulled out. Explain.

• The other wooden blocks on

top fall down.

• Inertia of the blocks want

to remain at rest.
PHYSICS FORM 4
FORCE & MOTION 1
2.4 INERTIA
Recognising the Relationship between Inertia and Mass
The photograph shows a bowling ball
and a football. Is it easier to move a
bowling ball or a football? Which ball is
difficult to stop when in motion?

An object with a bigger mass is more

difficult to set in motion or stop from
moving as compared to a lighter object.
What is the relationship between mass
and inertia?
Activity 2 Aim: Relate mass to inertia

1(a) Which one is easier to move, a

lighter trolley (diagram a) or a
heavier trolley (diagram b)?

Trolley (a) is lighter and easier to move

(b) Which trolley has greater inertia?
Explain your answer.
Trolley (b) has larger inersia. It’s mass is greater dan
difficult to move
Activity 2 Aim: Relate mass to inertia
2(a) Hang two cans to a ceiling.

(i) Push each can. Which can is

easier to move?
The empty can is easier to move
(b) Let the two cans swing.
(i) Which can is easier to stop?
The empty can is easier to stop
(ii) Which can has higher inertia?
(iii) State the relationship between
inertia and mass.
The larger the mass, the larger
the inertia. The more diffidult to
move or to stop.

The can with sand

(iv) What is the physics quantity which
Mass
describe inertia?
LEARNING
STANDARD 3
2.4.3 Justify the effects of
inertia in daily life
Activity 3 Aim: To explain situation related to inertia

1. Passengers in a bus will lurch

backwards when a stationary
bus starts to move with forward
acceleration. Why?

• The inertia of the passenger

wants to remain at rest.
• So when the bas move forward
suddenly, he will lurch
backwards.
Activity 3 Aim: To explain situation related to inertia
2. Passengers in a moving bus
lurch forward when the bus
comes to a halt suddenly. Why?

• The passenger moves together

with the bas.
• When the bus stop suddenly,
the inertia of the passenger
still want to remain moving.
• So he lurch forward when the
bus stop.
Activity 3 Aim: To explain situation related to inertia

3. Why the tomato sauce can be

easily poured out if the bottle is
moved down fast with a sudden
stop?
• The sauce moves together
with the bottle.
• When the bottle stops
suddenly, the inertia of
the source continues to
move
• and poured out of the
bottle.
Activity 3 Aim: To explain situation related to inertia
4. You can securely tight the head of hammer by
knocking it handle on a hard surface. Explain by
using the concept of inertia.
• The head of hammer is moving
together with the handle as it
moves down.
• When the handle is stopped
suddenly, the inertia of the head
of hammer still want to move
forward.
• So the top end of the handle will
slotted deeper into the hammer
head.
Activity 3 Aim: To explain situation related to inertia

5. If you are chased by a cow, how you will run?

Why?

• Run away from a cow in a zig

zag motion.
• The cow has a large inertia
• making it difficult to change
direction.
Activity 3 Aim: To explain situation related to inertia

6. Wet umbrella can be dried by moving it very

fast and then stop suddenly. Explain.
• The water droplet move
together with the umbrella.
• When the umbrella is
stopped suddenly, the inertia
of the droplet continues its
state of motion and left the
umbrella.
Activity 3 Aim: To explain situation related to inertia

7. Explain why the massive oil

tanker takes a long time and a
few kilometers to come to a stop.

• The tanker has great mass.

• The big inertia cause it
difficult to stop the tanker.
Activity 4 Aim: Explain ways to reduce the negative effects of inertia
1. Safety in a car: Seat belt
• Driver and passengers of a car are
advised to wear seat belts.
• When a car stops abruptly, the driver
and passengers in the car are thrown
forward because of inertia.
• Seat belts prevent them from being
thrown forward and hurting
themselves.
Activity 4 Aim: Explain ways to reduce the negative effects of inertia
Headrest to prevent injuries to the neck
during rear-end collisions.
Activity 4 Aim: Explain ways to reduce the negative effects of inertia

An air bag is fitted inside the steering wheel.

It provides a cushion to prevent the driver
from hitting the steering wheel or
dashboard during collision.
Activity 4 Aim: Explain ways to reduce the negative effects of inertia

When the lorry starts to

move suddenly, the furniture
are more difficult to fall off
due to their inertia because
their combined mass has
increased.
Activity 4 Aim: Explain ways to reduce the negative effects of inertia

The mass of the oil is divided into smaller

masses. This reduces the forward inertia of
the oil in each compartment when the oil tank
stops suddenly.
Activity 4 Aim: Explain ways to reduce the negative effects of inertia
Riders on a roller coaster in a recreation
park are assigned to seats through a
specialised safety system. The roller
coaster carriage moves at sudden changes
of speed and direction.

• When the carriage of the roller coaster

changes its direction of motion
suddenly, the inertia of the riders keeps
them in their original state of motion.
• The safety system ensures the riders
remain in their seats and are not thrown
out during the motion.
PHYSICS FORM 4
FORCE & MOTION 1
2.4 INERTIA
LEARNING
STANDARD 2
2.4.2 Experiment to find the
relationship between
inertia and mass
Experiment 2.2 Aim: To study the relationship between mass and inertia
Apparatus: hacksaw blade, G-clamp, stopwatch, plasticine balls, triple beam balance

The higher the mass,

Hyphotesis: the longer the period.

Manipulated variable Mass, m

Responding variable Period, T
Constant variable Length of
hacksaw blade
 T2/s2
T2/s2

20.0 4.0 4.2 4.1 0.41 0.17

30.0 5.0 5.1 5.05 0.50 0.25 7.0
40.0 6.2 6.3 6.25 0.63 0.39 x
6.0
50.0 7.0 7.1 7.05 0.71 0.48
5.0 x
60.0 8.1 7.8 7.45 0.75 0.63
4.0 x
3.0
x
2.0
x
1.0

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 m / g
Experiment 2.2 Aim: To study the relationship between mass and inertia

1. Name the quantity which represents inertia.

Period, T
2. What is the relationship between period and inertia?
The longer the period, the higher the inertia
3. From graph T2 against m, state the relationship between:

(a) Period of oscillation and mass

The higher the mass, the longer the period

(b) Inertia of an object and its mass

The higher the mass, the higher the inertia.