Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
In applied mechanics, a moment is a quantitative measure of the tendency of a force to cause a body to rotate about a specific point or axis.
Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
The moment of a force (also known as torque) about a point is defined as the product of the magnitude of the force ($F$) and the perpendicular distance ($d$) from the point to the line of action of the force.
Mathematically:
\[ \text{Moment} = F \times d \]
- Moment of inertia is a physical quantity that measures a body's resistance to rotational acceleration about an axis, calculated as the sum of mass times the square of distance ($I = mr^2$).
- Moment of mass is the product of mass and its distance from a reference axis.
- Moment of force directly represents the rotational effect produced by a force acting at a distance from an axis.
Therefore, the correct term is moment of force.
Step 3: Final Answer
The correct option is (C).