What's the meaning of unit of moment $\mathrm{N\cdot m}$? How do you explain it?

Question

I know the meaning of units with division like $\mathrm{m/s}$ or $\mathrm{m/s^2}$ etc. they make sense, like $2\ \mathrm{m/s}$ is like the car pass $2\ \mathrm m$ in $1$ second, you know what I mean?

But on the other hand $\mathrm{N\cdot m}$, it doesn't make sense like $\mathrm{m/s}$, because I don't know how to explain $2\ \mathrm{N\cdot m}$ for example. So how to explain it?

Does this answer your question? What do units like joule * seconds imply? — jng224, Oct 16 '21 at 11:55

score 1 · Accepted Answer · edited Oct 16 '21 at 11:48

1

Moments, or torques, are like turning "forces". If you get a $1$ metre handle with one end attached to an axle, pushing with a $1$ newton at right angles at the other end gives a torque of $1\ \mathrm{ Nm}$. If you want $2\ \mathrm{ Nm}$ you can either double the length or you you can double the force. It is a little bit like area in that you can double the area by doubling either the length or the width. Or like getting distance by multiplying speed by time.

edited Oct 16 '21 at 11:48

ACB

2,578

answered Oct 16 '21 at 06:13

Peter

1,859

thanks a lot buddy – Elie Makdissi Oct 16 '21 at 07:50
Incidentally it's also the unit of energy because one can consider it as a newton-meter per radian, kind of like an energy per angular distance, that way you can turn an object and do work doing so. – Triatticus Oct 16 '21 at 10:12

What's the meaning of unit of moment $\mathrm{N\cdot m}$? How do you explain it?

1 Answers1