Reading Materials in Advanced Physics – Quarter 2

ROTATIONAL KINEMATICS - motion of a body turning about an axis. It describes the

relationships among rotation angle, angular velocity, angular acceleration, and time.

Measurable Quantities of Rotational Kinematics

1. Angular displacement
- the position of a point on a rotating body from some reference line that connects this
point to the axis of rotation.
- it is a vector quantity, perpendicular to the plane of the motion.
direction: (-) clockwise, the vector points downward
(+) counterclockwise, the vector point upward.

Change in angular displacement (∆Θ) = arc length (s) / distance from the axis of rotation (r).
∆Θ = s / r
Sample Problems:
1. A boy on a merry-go-around at a distance of 1.25 m from the center. If the boy moves
through an arc length of 2.25 m, through what angular displacement does he move?
Given: 1.25 m – distance from the center (r),
2.25 m – arc length (s)
Required: angular displacement?
Equation:
∆Θ = s / r
s 2.25 m
Solution: ∆ Θ= =
r 1.25 m

Answer: ∆ Θ=1.8 ra d ian (rad )

2. Alli bought a pizza of radius of 0.5 m. A fly lands on the pizza and walks around the
edge for a distance of 80 cm. Calculate the angular displacement of the fly.
Given: 0.5 m – distance from the center (r),
0.08 m – arc length (s)
Required: angular displacement?
Equation:
∆Θ = s / r
s 0.08 m
Solution: ∆ Θ= =
r 0.5 m

Answer: ∆ Θ=0.16 ra d ian(rad )

2. Angular Velocity
- the same as linear velocity
- a measure of frequency / no. of cycle per unit time. It describes how quickly the
rotation takes place.
- ratio of the angular displacement to the time interval (the time it takes an object to
undergo displacement.
Δθ
Formula: ω= where: Δθ - angular displacement, T – period, ω - angular velocity
T
Units:
radian per second (rad/s), revolution per second (rps)
 1 rev = 2 𝝅 𝒓𝒂𝒅 (Radians - ratio of two lengths)
Note:
A body rotating at an angular velocity, the farther distance that the body is from the axis
of rotation, the greater is its linear/tangential velocity. (V= rώ)

Sample Problem:
1. If the stone does 6 rotations on 1 second, find the angular velocity of it?
Given: 6 rotations/sec - frequency
Required: angular velocity?
Equation:
1 1
T= = =0.17 s
f 6
Δθ
ω=
T
Δ θ 2(3.14)
Solution: ω= =
T 0.17 s
Answer: ∆ Θ=3 6.96 rad /sec

3. Angular reaction
- angular velocity changes with time
Δώ ώ 2−ώ 1
Equation: α= =
Δt t 2−t 1
Unit:
radian per second squared

Sample problem:
A figure skater begins spinning counter clockwise at an angular speed of 5.0 𝝅
𝒓𝒂𝒅/𝒔.She pulls her arms inward and finally spins at 8.0 𝝅 𝒓𝒂𝒅/𝒔 for 3.0 sec. What is her
average angular acceleration during the time interval?
Given: 5.0 𝝅 𝒓𝒂𝒅/𝒔 - ὠ1, 8.0 𝝅 𝒓𝒂𝒅/𝒔 - ὠ1, 3 sec. - time
Required: angular acceleration?
Equation:
ώ 2−ώ 1
Δὠ=
t 2−t 1
rad rad
8.0 π −5.0 π
Solution: ώ 2−ώ 1 s s
Δὠ= =
t 2−t 1 3 sec .
Answer: ∆ὠ = 1rad/sec

ROTATIONAL INERTIA
- resistance of an object to change in its rotational motion
- also termed a “moment of inertia”
- resistance embodied to its inertial mass
- Depends on the distribution of mass

Note: An object rotating about an axis tends to continue rotating unless an unbalanced
external torque tries to stop it.
A small mass which is at a greater distance from the axis of rotation has a greater
moment of inertia than a large mass which is near the axis of rotation.
MOMENT OF INERTIA ( I )
 gives a measurement of the resistance of the body to the change in its rotational
motion.
Unit: kg.m 2

LAWS OF ROTATIONAL MOTION

First Law
A body in motion at a constant angular velocity will continue in motion at the same
angular velocity unless acted upon by some unbalanced external torque.

Second Law
When an unbalanced external torque acts on a body with moment of inertia ( I ), it gives
that body an angular acceleration ( α ) which is directly proportional to the torque and inversely
proportional to the moment of inertia.

Third Law
If a body A and body B have the same axis of rotation, and if body A exerts a torque on
body B, then body B exerts an equal but opposite torque on body A.

Angular Momentum - equivalent of linear momentum, a vector quantity

- the product of the moment of inertia (I) of rotating body and its angular velocity (ω).

L=Iω
 units: kg . m2 /s
If an object is small compared to tis radial distance to its axis of rotation, the angular momentum
is equal to the magnitude of
linear momentum --> P = mv
L = mvr

Sample Problem:
1. An object with a moment of inertia of 2 kg. m2 rotates at 1 rad/s. What is the angular
momentum of the object?
Given: 2 kg.m2 – moment of inertial, 1 rad/s – angular velocity
Required: angular momentum?
Equation:
L=Iω
rad
Solution: L=(2 kg . m2)(1 )
s
Answer: L = 2 kg/m2/s

Seatwork
Topic: Rotational Kinematics
DIRECTION: Read and solve the following problems.
1. A wheel of radius 14.0 cm starts from rest and turns through 2.0 revolution in 3.0 sec.
a. What is its average angular velocity?
b. What is the tangential velocity of a point on the rim of the wheel?
2. An electric motor revolving at 2,000 rpm slows down uniformly to 1500 rpm in 3 s. Determine
a. angular acceleration of the motor
b. the number of revolution it makes this time
3. A fish swimming behind a luxury cruise liner gets caught in a whirlpool created by the ship’s
propeller. If the fish has an angular velocity of 1.5 rad/s and the water in the whirlpool
accelerates at 3.5 rad/s2, what will be the instantaneous angular velocity of the fish at the end
of 4s?

Activity
Title: Rotational Inertia
Objective: Determine the factors affecting rotational inertia.
Material: pencil

Procedure:
A. Factors related to rotational inertia.
1. Flip your pencil back and forth between your fingers.
Q1: Compare the ease of rotation when you flip it about its midpoint versus flipping it about one
of its end.

2. 2. Rotate the pencil between your thumb and forefinger about the pencil’s long axis (so the lead
is the axis) and between its midpoint.
 Q2: In which case is rotation easiest? In this case is the small rotational inertia consistent with
the radius?

B. Explain your answer on the questions.

1. Which will roll down an incline with greater acceleration, a hollow cylinder or a solid cylinder
of the same mass and radius?
2. What ways can a tightrope walker do to increase his rotational inertia?

Seatwork
Topic: Angular Momentum
DIRECTION: Solve the following problems

1. What is the angular momentum of a 250 g stone being whirled by a slingshot at a tangential
velocity of 6 m/s, if the length of the slingshot is 30 cm?

2. An object with a moment of inertia of 2 kg. m2 rotates at 1 rad/s. What is the angular
momentum of the object?

3. A 2 kg solid cylinder pulley with a radius of 0.1 m rotates at a constant angular speed of 2
rad/s. What is the angular momentum of the pulley?

Task
DIRECTION: On a bond paper create a Loop a Word puzzle containing 10 words that are related to
rotational kinematics. At the bottom side, list the ten words and write how you understand them.