Dr.

Neal, WKU

MATH 117

Angular Velocity vs. Linear Velocity

Given an object with a fixed speed that is moving in a circle with a fixed radius, we can define the angular velocity ! of the object. That is, we can determine how fast the radian measure of the angle is changing as the object moves on its circular path.

!
v = linear speed ! = angular speed v =!r r

We always use radians as the unit of measure when working with angular velocity. For instance, our angular velocities should be in units such as (rad) / sec or (rad) / hr . However sometimes we will give the result in other laymans terms, such as revolutions per minute or degrees per second, so as to give a better understanding of how fast the angle is moving. But in order to do calculations with angular velocity, we always must use radians. (rad) ! ft Note though that radians will be an invisible unit. For example the units sec will yield ft/sec. Relationship Between Angular Velocity ! and Linear Velocity v Given a fixed speed v and radius r , then

v = !r

!=

v r

!=

2" time of 1 rev.

Example 1. A cylinder with a 2.5 ft radius is rotating at 120 rpm. (a) Give the angular velocity in rad/sec and in degrees per second. (b) Find the linear velocity of a point on its rim in mph. Solution. (a) To convert rpm (revolutions per minute) to radians per second, we first note that there are 2! radians per revolution. We then have

Dr. Neal, WKU

120
Them we have 4!

rev rev rad 1 min rad . = 120 ! 2" ! = 4" min min rev 60 sec sec

rad rad 180 deg = 4! " = 720 per sec . sec sec ! rad

(b) We use v = ! r , but we must be in the correct units. The angular velocity must use radians. Thus, the linear velocity is then

4!
Converting to mph, we obtain
10!

rad ft . " 2.5 ft = 10! sec sec

ft ft sec 1 mile = 10! " 3600 " 21.42 mph. sec sec hr 5280 ft

Example 2. A tire with a 9 inch radius is rotating at 30 mph. Find the angular velocity of a point on its rim. Also express the result in revolutions per minute. Solution. We simply use ! = v / r , but we must make sure that v and r have matching length units. Here we shall use miles in order to put ! in (rad)/hr.

! =v !

1 % in 1 " miles ft (rad) ' ! 12 ! ! 5280 = $ 30 = 211,200 . $ ' hr 9 in & ft r # mile hr

1 ; however, radians are a suppressed unit hr with regards to angular velocity. So we write (rad) / hr .
Note that the units actually come out as How many revolutions per minute are there with this spinning tire? Because one revolution is 2 radians, we have 211,200

(rad) (rad) 1 rev 1 hr ! ! = 211,200 560.225 rpm. hr hr 2! rad 60 min

Planetary Equatorial Velocities

We also can find the angular velocity and the linear velocity at the equator of a planet given that we know the radius of the planet r and the time that it takes for the planet to ! ! make one ( 360 ) rotation on its axis. (Note: One 360 rotation on the axis is not the same as the actual length of a day due to the planets orbital movement relative to the Sun.)

Dr. Neal, WKU

Planetary Data
Planet Mercury Venus Earth (Moon) Mars Jupiter Saturn Uranus Neptune Pluto Rad /Earth's 0.3824 0.9489 1 0.272399 0.532036 11.194173 9.407131 4.0875553 3.8826366 0.1803 Mass/Earth's 0.0553 0.8150 1 0.0123 0.1074 317.89 95.17 14.56 17.15 0.002 Grav/Earth's 0.378 0.894 1 0.1653 0.379 2.54 1.07 0.8 1.2 0.01 Rotation 58.646 days 243.01 days 23h 56m 4.1s 27.32166 days 24h 37m 22.662s 9h 50m 10h 39.9m 17h 14m 16h 3m 6d 9h 17m

Radius of Earth 6378.140 km = 6,378,140 m 3963.2 miles Mass of Earth 5.974383 ! 1024 kg (Average) Gravity on Earth 9.80665 m/s2 32.174 ft/s2. 1 Earth Day 24 hours Conversions:
1 mile 1.609344 km 1000 m 3.28084 ft , , , 1 km 1 m 5280 ft 1 mile

Example 3. The radius of Earth is approximately 3963.2 miles. It takes 23h 56m 4.1s for the Earth to rotate once on its axis. (a) Find the angular velocity and linear velocity at the equator. (b) Find the linear velocity at 50 N latitude.

2" . The angular velocity of Earths spin time of 1 rev. (rad) 2! is then given by ! = 0.262516 . " 56 4.1 % hr + $ 23 + ' hr # 60 3600 &
Solution. (a) We now shall use ! = We also could say ! =
360! 15.041 per hour. ! 56 4.1 $ + # 23 + & hr " 60 3600 %
!

(Note that it takes just under 24 hours to rotate 360 , so every hour the Earth must ! rotate a little more than 1/24 th of a circle, or just over 15 .) The linear velocity of Earth spin at the equator is about

v = ! r 0.262516

(rad) ! 3963.2 miles 1040.4 mph. hr

Dr. Neal, WKU

(b) At 50 N latitude, the angular velocity is the same, but the radius is smaller. (Recall: r = 3963.2 cos(50 ) at 50 N). So the linear velocity at 50 N is now only 0.262516

(rad) ! 3963.2 cos(50 ) miles 668.76 mph. hr

Example 4. Jupiter rotates in approximately 9h 50m. Its radius is 11.194173 times that of Earths. Find the linear velocity at the equator of Jupiter. Solution. We again use v = ! r to obtain

v=!r =

2! ! (11.194173 ! 3963.2 miles) 28,347.65 mph. (9 + 50 / 60) hr

Exercises 1. A cylinder with a 2 ft radius is spinning at 450 rpm. (a) Find its angular velocity in degrees per sec. (b) Find the linear speed on the rim in mph. 2. If a cylinder with a 6 in. radius is spinning at 24 mph, find the angular velocity in rpm of a point on its rim. 3. (a) What is the radius of the circle at 28! 15! N latitude? (b) Find the linear velocity of the Earths rotation at 28! 15! N. (c) Find the distance between points at the following coordinates:
28! 15! N, 76! 08! E and 28! 15! N, 53! 44 ! E.

4. The radius of Mars is 0.532036 times that of Earth. One rotation on its axis takes about 24 hr, 37 min, 22.662 sec. Find the linear speed of its equatorial spin.

Dr. Neal, WKU

Solutions 1. (a) First, ! = 450

rev 2# (rad) rad . Converting to deg per sec, we have " = 900# min rev min rad 1 min 180 deg ! = 900" # # = 2700 per sec . min 60 sec " rad
1 mile rad min ! 2 ft ! 60 ! 64.26 mph. 5280 ft min hr

(b) v = ! r = 900!

2. Because 6 in. = 0.5 feet, we have

! =v !
Then 253,440

1 1 " miles ! = $ 24 $ hr 0.5 r #

% ft (rad) ' ! 5280 = 253,440 . ' ft & mile hr

(rad) 1 rev 1 hr ! ! 672.27 rpm. hr 2! rad 60 min

3. (a) The radius is r 3963.2 cos(28.25! ) 3491.146 miles. (b) The linear velocity is v = ! r =
2! ! 3491.146 miles 916.48 mph. " 56 4.1 % 23 + + $ ' # 60 3600 &

(c) We first find the angle between 76! 08! E and 53! 44 ! E which is given by 75! 68! ! 53! 44 ! = 22! 24! = 22.4 . The distance between the points is then s = ! r = " 22.4! ! ! 3491.146 1364.8766 miles. 180
2! (rad) ( 0.532036 ( 3963.2 miles 538.05 mph. " 37 22.662 % 24 + + hr $ ' # 60 3600 &

4. v = ! r =