Symbol I^*
is part of the quantity the equation computes from the expression on the right.
Read this term in its guide →Published equation contexts
Why this formula appears here
The fourth quantity is the one that does real work. The polar moment of inertia, normalised by mass and radius, is . and it measures how mass is distributed radially rather than how much there is. A uniform sphere has = 0.4 . Anything smaller means mass concentrated toward the centre; anything approaching 0.4 means a body that is close to uniform in density, which for a rocky planet means undifferentiated.
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Symbol C
C occurs above the fraction bar. The numerator is divided by the entire denominator below it.
Read this term in its guide →Symbol M
M occurs below the fraction bar. The quantity above the bar is divided by this expression; zero is excluded as a denominator.
Read this term in its guide →Denominator: MR^2
The complete quantity below the fraction bar; it must be nonzero for this division.
Read this term in its guide →How to interpret it
With a fixed numerator, increasing a nonzero denominator reduces the fraction. Read it with the definitions, units, and assumptions supplied by the article.
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Published contexts (1)
A symbol can carry a different meaning in another article. Each occurrence keeps its own guide and term definitions.
Equation 1 · Planetary Science
How We Know What Is Inside a Planet
This equation states an equality: the expressions on both sides have the same value under the article’s assumptions.
The fourth quantity is the one that does real work. The polar moment of inertia, normalised by mass and radius, is . and it measures how mass is distributed radially rather than how much there is. A uniform sphere has = 0.4 . Anything smaller means mass concentrated toward the centre; anything approaching 0.4 means a body that is close to uniform in density, which for a rocky planet means undifferentiated.
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