Moment of Inertia Converter

Easily convert between different units of moment of inertia including kilogram square meter, gram square centimeter, pound square foot, and other specialized engineering units.

Moment of Inertia Converter

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About Moment of Inertia Conversion

Moment of inertia, also known as rotational inertia or angular mass, is a measure of an object's resistance to changes in its rotational motion. It is the rotational analog to mass in linear motion and plays a crucial role in the dynamics of rotating objects.

Common Moment of Inertia Conversions

  • 1 kilogram square meter (kg·m²) = 10,000,000 gram square centimeter (g·cm²)
  • 1 kilogram square meter (kg·m²) = 10,000 kilogram square centimeter (kg·cm²)
  • 1 kilogram square meter (kg·m²) = 23.7304 pound square foot (lb·ft²)
  • 1 gram square centimeter (g·cm²) = 0.0000001 kilogram square meter (kg·m²)
  • 1 pound square foot (lb·ft²) = 0.042140110 kilogram square meter (kg·m²)
  • 1 slug square foot (slug·ft²) = 1.35581795 kilogram square meter (kg·m²)

Applications of Moment of Inertia

Moment of inertia is a critical concept in many engineering and physics applications:

  • Mechanical engineering (rotating machinery design)
  • Structural engineering (beam deflection and vibration analysis)
  • Automotive engineering (drivetrain and wheel design)
  • Aerospace engineering (aircraft and spacecraft stability)
  • Robotics (joint design and motion planning)
  • Sports equipment design (golf clubs, baseball bats, etc.)
  • Biomechanics (human body movement and athletic performance)

Calculating Moment of Inertia

The moment of inertia depends on both the mass of an object and how that mass is distributed relative to the axis of rotation. For simple shapes, the moment of inertia can be calculated using standard formulas:

  • Solid sphere about its center: I = (2/5)mr²
  • Hollow sphere about its center: I = (2/3)mr²
  • Solid cylinder about its central axis: I = (1/2)mr²
  • Thin rod about its center: I = (1/12)mL²
  • Thin rod about its end: I = (1/3)mL²

Where m is mass, r is radius, and L is length.

Our moment of inertia converter provides accurate conversions between all these units, making it easy to translate between different measurement systems for engineering calculations, physics problems, and mechanical design applications.