Torque is defined as which of the following?

• A. A linear force that causes motion along a straight line
• B. A force that opposes motion
• C. The rate of angular acceleration
• D. A turning or twisting force

Answer: (D)

Torque is a turning or twisting force that causes rotation when it is applied at a distance from a pivot. The best answer captures this idea because torque isn’t about moving something in a straight line or resisting motion; it’s about creating rotation.

Think of using a wrench: pushing on the handle away from the bolt generates a turning effect about the bolt, and the farther you are from the pivot (the bolt) and the more you push perpendicular to the lever, the greater the torque. If you push directly toward or away from the bolt along the lever, you produce little or no rotation because the force doesn’t create a turning moment.

To connect to the idea behind the other descriptions: a straight-line force that causes motion along a path describes translation, not rotation; a force that opposes motion describes friction or resistance, not a turning action; and the rate of angular acceleration is what results from torque acting on an object with inertia, not the definition of torque itself.