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Physics vocabulary · Motion and Forces

Torque

Meaning in physics, with examples

/tɔːrk/nounCommon term

In physics, torque means: The turning effect of a force about a pivot or axis. It equals the force multiplied by the perpendicular distance from the pivot and is measured in newton metres (N·m).

In Turkish: tork, kuvvet momenti, döndürme momenti

How it is used

Symbol τ (tau). Used for spanners, doors, seesaws and motors. British school textbooks often call it the 'moment of a force' and talk about the principle of moments. In equilibrium, the clockwise and anticlockwise torques balance.

Example sentences

  1. A longer spanner gives more torque for the same force.

  2. The net torque on the beam is zero, so it does not rotate.

Common collocations

  • apply a torque
  • net torque
  • clockwise torque
  • moment of a force
  • principle of moments
  • forceA push or a pull that can change how an object moves or change its shape. It has both size and direction and is measured in newtons (N).
  • equilibriumA state in which all the forces and turning effects on an object balance, so its motion does not change. An object in equilibrium is at rest or moving at a constant velocity.
  • inertiaThe tendency of an object to resist any change in its motion, so it stays at rest or keeps moving with the same velocity. Objects with more mass have more inertia.
  • centripetal forceThe net force that keeps an object moving in a circle, always pointing towards the centre of the circle. It equals mv²/r.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

More terms: Motion and Forces

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