The tendency of an object to resist changes to its state of motion is known as:

The term that describes the tendency of an object to resist changes to its state of motion is inertia. Inertia is a fundamental property of matter, and it is directly related to an object's mass. The greater the mass of an object, the greater its inertia, meaning it will require more force to change its state of motion, whether that involves starting from rest, stopping, or changing direction.

Momentum refers to the quantity of motion an object has, which is dependent on both its mass and velocity, but it does not specifically address the resistance to changes in motion. Energy is a broader concept related to the capacity to do work, and while force is an interaction that can cause changes in motion, it is not a property or tendency of the object itself.

By understanding inertia, you can grasp why heavier objects are harder to move or stop than lighter ones, as their inertia resists acceleration or deceleration. This concept is core to Newton's first law of motion, which states that an object at rest will stay at rest, and an object in motion will continue in motion at a constant velocity unless acted upon by a net external force.