8/13/2020 How to Calculate the Angular Velocity

How to Calculate the Angular Velocity

•••

Updated November 27, 2018 By Kevin Beck

In everyday discourse, "speed" and "velocity" are often used interchangeably. In

physics, however, these terms have specific and distinct meanings. "Speed" is the rate
of displacement of an object in space, and it is given only by a number with specific
units (often in meters per second or miles per hour). Velocity, on the other hand, is is
a speed coupled to a direction. Speed, then, is called a scalar quantity, whereas
velocity is a vector quantity.

When a car is zipping along a highway or a baseball is whizzing through the air, the
speed of these objects is measured in reference to the ground, whereas the velocity
incorporates more information. For example, if you're in a car traveling at 70 miles
per hour on Interstate 95 on the East Coast of the United States, it's also helpful to
know whether it is headed northeast toward Boston or south toward Florida. With
the baseball, you might want to know if its y-coordinate is changing more rapidly
than its x-coordinate (a fly ball) or if the reverse is true (a line drive). But what about

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the spinning of the tires or the rotation (spin) of the baseball as the car and the ball
move toward their ultimate destination? For these kinds of questions, physics offers
the concept of angular velocity.

The Basics of Motion

Things move through three-dimensional physical space in two main ways: translation
and rotation. Translation is the displacement of the entire object from one location to
another, like a car driving from New York City to Los Angeles. Rotation, on the other
hand, is the cyclical motion of an object around a fixed point. Many objects, such as
the baseball in the above example, exhibit both types of movement at the same time;
as a fly ball moved through the air from home plate toward the outfield fence, it also
spins at a given rate around its own center.

Describing these two kinds of motion are treated as separate physics problems; that
is, when calculating the distance the ball travels through the air based on things like
its initial launch angle and the speed with which it leaves the bat, you can ignore its
rotation, and when calculating its rotation you can treat it as sitting in one place for
present purposes.

The Angular Velocity Equation

First, when you are talking about "angular" anything, be it velocity or some other
physical quantity, recognize that, because you are dealing with angles, you're talking
about traveling in circles or portions thereof. You may recall from geometry or
trigonometry that the circumference of a circle is its diameter times the constant pi,
or πd. (The value of pi is about 3.14159.) This is more commonly expressed in terms
of the circle's radius r, which is half the diameter, making the circumference 2πr.

In addition, you have probably learned somewhere along the way that a circle
consists of 360 degrees (360°). If you move a distance S along a circle, than the
angular displacement θ is equal to S/r. One full revolution, then, gives 2πr/r, which
just leaves 2π. That means angles less that 360° can be expressed in terms of pi, or in
other words, as radians.

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Taking all of these pieces of information together, you can express angles, or portions
of a circle, in units other than degrees:

360° = (2π)radians, or

1 radian = (360°/2π) = 57.3°,

Whereas linear velocity is expressed in length per unit time, angular velocity is
measured in radians per unit time, usually per second.

If you know that a particle is moving in a circular path with a velocity v at a distance r
from the center of the circle, with the direction of v always being perpendicular to
the radius of the circle, then the angular velocity can be written

ω = v/r,

where ω is the Greek letter omega. Angular velocity units are radians per second;
you can also treat this unit as "reciprocal seconds," because v/r yields m/s divided by
m, or s-1, meaning that radians are technically a unitless quantity.

Rotational Motion Equations

The angular acceleration formula is derived in the same essential way as the angular
velocity formula: It is merely the linear acceleration in a direction perpendicular to a
radius of the circle (equivalently, its acceleration along a tangent to the circular path
at any point) divided by the radius of the circle or portion of a circle, which is:

α = at/r

This is also given by:

α = ω/t

because for circular motion, at = ωr/t = v/t.

α, as you probably know, is the Greek letter "alpha." The subscript "t" here denotes
"tangent."

Curiously enough, however, rotational motion boasts another kind of acceleration,

called centripetal ("center-seeking") acceleration. This is given by the expression:

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ac = v2/r

This acceleration is directed toward the point around which the object in question is
rotating. This may seem strange, since the object is getting no closer to this central
point since the radius r is fixed. Think of centripetal acceleration as a free-fall in
which there is no danger of the object hitting the ground, because the force drawing
the object toward it (usually gravity) is exactly offset by the tangential (linear)
acceleration described by the first equation in this section. If ac were not equal to at,
the object would either fly off into space or soon crash into the middle of the circle.

Related Quantities and Expressions

Although angular velocity is usually expressed, as noted, in radians per second, there
may be instances in which it is preferable or necessary to use degrees per second
instead, or conversely, to convert from degrees to radians before solving a problem.

Say you were told that a light source rotates through 90° every second at a constant
velocity. What is its angular velocity in radians?

First, remember that 2π radians = 360°, and set up a proportion:

360/2π = 90/x

360x = 180π

x = ω = π/2

The answer is one-half pi radians per second.

If you were further told that the light beam has a range of 10 meters, what would be
the tip of the beam's linear velocity v, its angular acceleration α and its centripetal
acceleration ac?

To solve for v, from above, v = ωr, where ω = π/2 and r = 10m:

(π/2)(10) = 5π rad/s = 15.7 m/s

To solve for α, simply add another time unit to the denominator:

α = 5π rad/s2

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(Note that this only works for problems in which the angular velocity is constant.)

Finally, also from above, ac = v2/r = (15.7)2/10 = 24.65 m/s2.

Angular Velocity vs. Linear Velocity

Building on the previous problem, imagine yourself on a very large merry-go-round,
one with an unlikely radius of 10 kilometers (10,000 meters). This merry-go-round
makes one complete revolution every 1 minute and 40 seconds, or every 100
seconds.

One consequence of the difference between angular velocity, which is independent

of the distance from axis of rotation, and linear circular velocity, which is not, is that
two people experiencing the same ω may be undergoing vastly different physical
experienced. If you happen to be 1 meter from the center if this putative, massive
merry-go-round, your linear (tangential) velocity is:

ωr = (2π rad/100 s)(1 m) = 0.0628 m/s, or 6.29 cm (less than 3 inches) per second.

But if you're on the rim of this monster, your linear velocity is:

ωr = (2π rad/100 s)(10,000 m) = 628 m/s. That's about 1,406 miles per hour, faster
than a bullet. Hang on!

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Rotational Kinematics: What is it & Why it Matters (w/ Equations & Examples)

Rotational Kinematics: What is it & Why it

Matters (w/ Equations & Examples)
Updated December 05, 2019 By Kevin Beck

Kinematics is a mathematical branch of physics that uses equations to describe the

motion of objects (specifically their trajectories) without referring to forces.

That is, you could simply plug in various numbers to the set of four kinematic
equations to find any unknowns in those equations without needing any knowledge
of the physics behind that motion, relying only on your algebra skills.

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Think of “kinematics” as a combination of “kinetics” and “mathematics” – in other

words, the math of motion.

Rotational kinematics is exactly this, but it specifically deals with objects moving in
circular paths rather than horizontally or vertically. Like objects in the world of
translational motion, these rotating objects can be described in terms of their
displacement, velocity and acceleration over time, although some of the variables
necessarily change to accommodate the basic differences between linear and
angular motion.

It is actually very useful to learn the basics about linear motion and rotational motion
at the same time, or at least be introduced to the relevant variables and equations.
This is not to overwhelm you, but instead is meant to underscore the parallels.

Of course, it’s important to remember when learning about these “types” of motion
in space that translation and rotation are far from mutually exclusive. In fact, most
moving objects in the real world display a combination of both types of motion, with
one of them often not being evident at first glance.

Examples of Linear and Projectile Motion

Because “velocity” typically means “linear velocity” and “acceleration” implies “linear
acceleration” unless otherwise specified, it’s appropriate to review a few simple
examples of basic motion.

Linear motion literally means motion confined to a single line, often assigned the
variable “x.” Projectile motion problems involve both x- and y-dimensions, and
gravity is the only external force (note that these problems are described as
occurring in a three-dimensional world, e.g., “A cannonball is fired…”).

Note that mass m does not enter kinematics equations of any sort, because gravity’s
effect on the motion of objects is independent of their mass, and quantities such as
momentum, inertia and energy are not part of any equations of motion.

A Quick Note on Radians and Degrees

Because rotational motion involves studying circular paths (in non-uniform as well as
uniform circular motion) rather than using meters to describe the displacement of an
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object, you use radians or degrees instead.

The radian is, on the surface, an awkward unit, translating to 57.3 degrees. But one
trip around a circle (360 degrees) is defined as 2π radians, and for reasons you’re
about to see, this proves convenient when problem solving in some cases.

• The relationship π rad = 180 degrees can be used to easily convert

between both units of measure.

There may be problems that include the number of revolutions per unit time (rpm or
rps). Remember that each revolution is 2π radians or 360 degrees.

Rotational Kinematics vs. Translational

Kinematics Measurements
Translational kinematics measurements, or units, all have rotational analogs. For
example, instead of linear velocity, which describes, for example, how far a ball rolls
in a straight line over a given time interval, the ball's rotational or angular velocity
describes the rate of rotation of that ball (how much it rotates in radians or degrees
per second).

The main thing to keep in mind here is that every translational unit has a rotational
analogue. Learning to mathematically and conceptually relate the “partnered” ones
takes a little practice, but for the most part it’s a matter of simple substitution.

Linear velocity v specifies both the magnitude and direction of a particle’s

translation; angular velocity ω (the Greek letter omega) represents its singular
velocity, which is just how fast the object is rotating in radians per second. Similarly,
the rate of change of ω, the angular acceleration, is given by α (alpha) in rad/s2.

The values of ω and α are the same for any point on a solid object whether they’re
measured 0.1 m from the axis of rotation or 1,000 meters away, because it is only
how fast the angle θ changes that matters.

There are, however, tangential (and thus linear) velocities and accelerations present
in most situations where rotational quantities are seen. Tangential quantities are
computed by multiplying angular quantities by r, the distance from the axis of
rotation: vt = ωr and α*t* = αr.
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Rotational
Kinematics vs. Translational Kinematics Equations
Now that the measurement analogies between rotational and linear motion have
been squared away using the introduction of new angular terms, these can be used to
rewrite the four classic translational kinematics equations in terms of rotational
kinematics, just with somewhat different variables (the letters in equations
representing unknown quantities).

There are four fundamental equations as well as four basic variables in play in
kinematics: position (x, y or θ), velocity (v or ω), acceleration (a or α) and time t.
Which equation you choose depends on which quantities are unknown to start.

- [insert a table of linear/translational kinematics equations aligned with their

rotational analogs]

For example, say you are told that a machine arm swept through an angular
displacement of 3π/4 radians with an initial angular velocity ω0 of 0 rad/s and a final
angular velocity ω of π rad/s. How long did this motion take?

θ = θ0+ ½(ω0 + ω)t

(3π/4) = 0 + (π/2)t

t = 1.5 s

While every translational equation has a rotational analogue, the reverse isn’t quite
true because of centripetal acceleration, which is a consequence of the tangential
velocity vt and points toward the axis of rotation. Even if there is no change in the
speed of a particle orbiting a center of mass, this represents acceleration because the
direction of the velocity vector is always changing.

Examples of Rotational Kinematics Mathematics

1. A thin rod, classified as a rigid body with a length of 3 m, rotates around an axis
about one end. It accelerates uniformly from rest to 3π rad/s2 over a period of 10 s.

a) What are the average angular velocity and angular acceleration during this time?
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As with linear velocity, just divide (ω0+ ω) by 2 to get average angular velocity:

(0 + 3π s-1)/2 = 1.5*π* s-1.

• Radians are a dimensionless unit, so in kinematics equations, angular

velocity is expressed as s-1.

The average acceleration is given by ω=ω0+ αt, or α = (3π s-1/10 s) = 0.3π s-2.

b) How many complete revolutions does the rod make?

Since the average velocity is 1.5π s-1 and the rod spins for 10 seconds, it moves
through a total of 15π radians. Since one revolution is 2π radians, this means
(15π/2π) = 7.5 revolutions (seven complete revolutions) in this problem.

c) What is the tangential velocity of the end of the rod at time t = 10 s?

Since vt = ωr, and ω at time t = 10 is 3π s-1, vt = (3π s-1)(3 m) = 9π m/s.

The Moment of Inertia

I is defined as the moment of inertia (also called second moment of area) in rotational
motion, and it is analogous to mass for computational purposes. It thus appears
where mass would appear in the world of linear motion, perhaps most importantly in
calculating angular momentum L. This is the product of I and ω, and is a vector with
direction the same as ω.

I = mr2 for a point particle, but otherwise it depends on the shape of the object doing
the rotating as well as the axis of rotation. See the Resources for a handy list of
values of I for common shapes.

Mass is different because the quantity in rotational kinematics to which it relates,

moment of inertia, itself actually contains mass as a component.

References
Resources
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