Torque
Turning force around an axis / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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In physics and mechanics, torque is the rotational analogue of linear force.[1] It is also referred to as the moment of force (also abbreviated to moment). The symbol for torque is typically , the lowercase Greek letter tau. When being referred to as moment of force, it is commonly denoted by M. Just as a linear force is a push or a pull applied to a body, a torque can be thought of as a twist applied to an object with respect to a chosen point; for example, driving a screw uses torque, which is applied by the screwdriver rotating around its axis. A force of three newtons applied two metres from the fulcrum, for example, exerts the same torque as a force of one newton applied six metres from the fulcrum.
Torque | |
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![]() Relationship between force F, torque τ, linear momentum p, and angular momentum L in a system which has rotation constrained to only one plane (forces and moments due to gravity and friction not considered). | |
Common symbols | |
SI unit | N⋅m |
Other units | pound-force-feet, lbf⋅inch, ozf⋅in |
In SI base units | kg⋅m2⋅s−2 |
Dimension |