Which statement best defines torque?

Which statement best defines torque?

• A. A measure of engine rotation speed
• B. A force that tends to cause rotation
• C. A resistance to linear motion
• D. A type of friction in gears

Answer: (B)

Torque is the rotational effect a force has about an axis—the tendency of a force to cause something to turn. This is best captured by describing torque as a force that tends to cause rotation. How hard you push and where you push matters: a longer lever arm or a push perpendicular to the lever creates more turning effect, while pushing at an angle reduces the effective turning effect. The concept is distinct from angular speed, which measures how fast something rotates, and from linear resistance like inertia or friction that opposes straight-line motion. Friction in gears can influence motion, but that isn’t what torque is by itself.

Torque is the rotational effect a force has about an axis—the tendency of a force to cause something to turn. This is best captured by describing torque as a force that tends to cause rotation. How hard you push and where you push matters: a longer lever arm or a push perpendicular to the lever creates more turning effect, while pushing at an angle reduces the effective turning effect. The concept is distinct from angular speed, which measures how fast something rotates, and from linear resistance like inertia or friction that opposes straight-line motion. Friction in gears can influence motion, but that isn’t what torque is by itself.