SOS HERMANN GMEINERSECONDARY SCHOOL, JIMMA

Physics Grade 10

Continue … Unit-1
1.2 Rotational kinematics

Rotational motion

-We need to be able to distinguish between its displacement, velocity and acceleration, and
whether it is angular or tangential.
Displacement

-In one complete revolution an object will travel a distance equal to 2πr. Its tangential
displacement will be zero as it is back where it started. The object has an angular displacement
equal to θ. This is just the angle the object has subtended.
-When describing angular displacement, there are several different units of angular measurement.
Perhaps the simplest would be revolutions. Half a circle would be 0.5 revolutions (or 0.5 rev). A more
common unit is the degree.
-The symbol of angular displacement is θ and measured by radian (rad).

1 rev = 3600 = 2πrad

-One radian is the angle subtended at the center of a circle by an arc that is equal in length to the
radius of the circle. The circumference of a circle is given by 2πr.
-One revolution is 360°, half a circle would be 180°.

The radian Angular displacement

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 Examples of angular measurements

 Radian the angle between two radii of a circle that cut off, on the circumference, an arc
equal in length to the radius.

Velocity

-Angular velocity is defined as the rate of change of the angle subtended. This is very similar to
the definition of linear velocity the rate of change of displacement. The faster an object rotates
the greater the angle covered per unit of time.

Angular velocity =

Where
ω=
ω - Greek letter omega measured in rad/s.
θ - Greek letter theta measured in radians and
t - Time taken measured in seconds.
-The SI units of angular velocity are rad/s.
-In one complete revolution θ is equal to 2π radians and t becomes T (time for one complete
cycle, time period).
So for one complete cycle:
π
ω= =

-Angular and tangential velocity may be linked using the equation below:
Tangential velocity = radius of path × angular velocity
ν = rω

-About uniform circular motion is to define it as any motion where both the speed and the
angular velocity are constant.
As the object follows a circular path it also has a tangential velocity at any given point

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 Angular and tangential velocity

 Angular velocity specifies the angular speed of an object and the axis about
which the object is rotating.
Acceleration

-Any object travelling in a circular path is accelerating. This acceleration is called centripetal
acceleration and it acts towards the center of the circle.
Centripetal acceleration is given by the equation:

ac =
Where ac -Centripetal acceleration
- Tangential velocity square
r - Radius of curvature
Since ν = rω this equation could be written as:
2 2
a=
a = rω2

-If the mass of an object remains constant, then applying Newton’s second law of motion gives
us: F = ma.
-For centripetal acceleration and so centripetal force this equation becomes F =
 Tangential acceleration is the rate of change of displacement.

-The magnitude of this acceleration is given by:

Tangential acceleration =
aT =
-In most cases an increase in tangential velocity will lead to an increase of both tangential and
centripetal acceleration. If the radius remains constant, an increase in tangential velocity will also
cause an increase in angular velocity.
 Angular acceleration is the rate of change of angular velocity.
Angular acceleration =

α=
Where
α is the Greek letter alpha measured in rad/s2.
ω is the Greek letter omega measured in rad/s and

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 t is time taken in seconds.
-The units of angular acceleration are rad/s2.

-Three different types of acceleration in rotational motion.

Different types of accelerations in rotational motion.

-Angular and tangential acceleration may be linked using the equation below:

a =r
T

The equations of constant angular acceleration

-When there is constant linear acceleration is an equivalent set of equations for constant angular
acceleration. The two sets of equations side by side for comparison.

Where ω = final angular velocity

ω0 = initial angular velocity
α = angular acceleration
t = time taken
θ = angular displacement

 Homework

Review question Page 29&30

-Question #1 up to #7

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