Torque

Torque ($\tau$) is force that causes an object to rotate around an axis and is measured in joules ($J$). Formally, torque is force ($F$) times distance ($d$), or $\tau=Fd$. Though torque's definition is very similar to work and the units of measure are the same, it is not work because work by definition causes displacement which is linear whereas torque by definition causes rotation.

By convention, Torque is negative when the rotation is clockwise and positive when rotation is counter-clockwise.

Resources to Learn About Torque

• Khan Academy: Introduction to Torque

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