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Angular and Linear Velocity MATH

This document provides formulas and examples for calculating arc length, linear velocity, and angular velocity. It defines key terms and shows how to use the formulas rθ = s and ω = θ/t to solve problems involving distance traveled, radians or degrees rotated, and linear and angular velocity given radius, time, or rate of rotation. Examples calculate these values for objects rotating on a merry-go-round, a point rotating around an object, and the velocity of a golf club head during a swing.

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316 views2 pages

Angular and Linear Velocity MATH

This document provides formulas and examples for calculating arc length, linear velocity, and angular velocity. It defines key terms and shows how to use the formulas rθ = s and ω = θ/t to solve problems involving distance traveled, radians or degrees rotated, and linear and angular velocity given radius, time, or rate of rotation. Examples calculate these values for objects rotating on a merry-go-round, a point rotating around an object, and the velocity of a golf club head during a swing.

Uploaded by

hermini
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

3.

3) Arc Length, Linear Velocity, and Angular Velocity


s θ
Formulas: C = 360 ° s = rθ

Helpful Hint: s = rθ can only be used for angles in radians.


Example 1: Three students are on a merry-go-round, one at the center, and the others 1.0 m and
2.0 m from the center. Find the distance each travels after 90° of rotation.
Solution
Convert 90° to radians and use s = rθ
π 9π 3 π π
( )
90° 180 ° = 18 = 6 = 2

Student at the center, r = 0 m Student with r = 1.0 m


π π
Sc = 0( 2 ¿ = 0 s1.0 = 1.0( 2 ¿ = 1.6 m

sc = 0 m
Student with r = 2.0 m
π
S2.0 = 2.0( 2 ¿= 3.1 m

Velocity: is a term which indicates how quickly something occurs.


Linear velocity: is how quickly a length of linear distance is traveled.
Angular velocity: is how quickly an object rotates on turns.
Formulas:
d rθ θ
1) v = t = t =rω 2) ω= t

θ in radians only θ in radians only

Example 2: Assume the merry-go-round in example 1 takes 2.5 s to rotate 90°. Find each
student’s angular and linear velocity.
Solution:
π
In radians 90° = 2

Angular velocity: all students rotate at the same rate,


π
θ
ω= = 2 = 0.63 s.
t
2.5

Linear velocity, v = rω,


Student at the center, r = 0 m Student with r = 1.0 m Student with r = 2.0 m
v = 0(0.63) = 0 m/s v = 1.0 m(0.63s) = 0.63 m/s v = 2.0 m(0.63s) = 1.26m/s

Example 3) A point is 4.8 cm from the center of an object rotating at 2.5 radians per second.
Find the number of radians and degrees rotated, the distance the point travels, and its linear
velocity after 3.1 seconds.
Solution: Given: ω=2.5 rad /s , r = 4.8 cm and t = 3.1 s
θ
a) Radians and degrees rotated may be found from ω= t or

θ=ω∗t θ=2.5 rad /s (3.1 s)=7.75 ( 180π ° )=444 °


For distance traveled use s = rθ
S = 4.8 cm(7.75rad) = 37.2 cm
For linear velocity use v = rω
V = 4.8 cm(2.5rad/s) = 12 cm/s

Example 4) Larry wonders how fast his golf club head travels during a swing. He measures the
swing radius (from his shoulder) to be 60 inches. He assumes the 45° of swing just before
contact with the ball to have a constant angular velocity, while his friend Steve approximates the
time for this portion of the swing to be one tenth of a second. Find the linear velocity in miles per
hour of the club head just before it impacts the ball.
Solution:

θ = 45° ( 180π ° )= 1560π = 520π = π4


π
θ 4
ω= = =7.85 rad /s
t 1
10

V = rω = 60 in(7.85rad/s) = 471 in/s


¿ 1,695,600
471 s ¿= 63,360 =26.8 mi/h

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