we would like to know if inertia and potential energy is the same or not?

Answer 1

Inertia has nothing to do with potential energy. Inertia has to do with a body perserving its state of being at rest or of moving uniformly straight ahead, while potential energy may be defined as the work that must be done against a particular force. Also, potential energy can be in many different forms: gravitational, chemical, electrical, etc.

Answer 2

no, inertia is a discriptor which deals with the state of an object's kinetic energy (or lack thereof). essentially, an object cannot change it's Kinetic energy without net forces acting on it, by the same rote, inertial motion does not change without a net force.

Potential is based on many things, position being one of them. To give an example, lets consider a block falling at terminal velocity. The net forces are equal so the block falls with a constant velocity. This means the inertia and kinetic energy of the block are constant. However, the distance of the block is constantly changing relative to the ground and so the potential energy is changing. To finally state: if the inertia is unchanging, but the potential energy IS, then they cannot be the same variable

(to objectors: PE(i) + KE(i) = PE(f) + KE(f) only works in a frictionless system, in this example the drag friction does work on the system... for those lower physics types who would have objected...)

Edit:
To Sarath: potential energy is more than just having to do with objects at rest, a moving object has potential. there is also such a thing as electric potential.
To Kris: einstein has shown via his E = mc^2 theory that mass and energy are most certainly NOT two seperate things but rather can be wholly interchangeable. How do you think the big bang worked?
"PhysicsDude": That's a terrible definition for potential energy...

Answer 3

Inertia is mass. Actually, it's better to say that mass is a measure of inertia. Since mass and energy are two different things, than inertia and potential energy must also be two different things.

Answer 4

Inertia is the resistance of a body to change its motion, potential energy is the bodies position relative to a conservative force field.

Answer 5

Inertia, in Physics, is really a qualitative concept. Whereas energy whether Kinetic, Potential, or Work are well defined quantitative concepts.

Answer 6

inertia is the inability of a body to chnge its state of rest or motion.whereas P.E is where an object is at rest

Answer 7

They r different

Answer 8

yep