Angular Velocity Formula Questions:

1) The second hand of a clock takes 30 seconds to move through an arc of

180 degrees. What is the angular velocity?

Answer: The second hand starts at i = 0 degrees and moves to f = 180

degrees from the point of origin. 180 degrees = 1/2 of a full revolution, so f =
(0.5 x 2 ). (360 degrees is 2 rad). The time it takes for the second hand to
move through 180 degrees is 30 seconds, so t = 30 s. We can now calculate the
angular velocity.
= (f - i) / t
= (0.5 x 2 ) rad / 30 s
= () rad / 30 s = 3.14 rad / 30 s
= 0.105 rad/s

2) You tour a jewelry-polishing facility. Their polishing wheel moves at 150

revolutions per minute. What is it's angular velocity?
Answer: Each revolution is 2 rad. The angle (f - i) = (150) x (2 rad). The
time, t, is 1 min, or t = 60 s. Use the formula for angular velocity.
= (f - i) / t
= (150 x 2 ) rad / 60 s
= 300 rad / 60 s = 5 rad/s