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.

!
r
r
v
v = linear speed
! = angular speed
v = ! 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.
Note though that radians will be an invisible unit. For example the units
(rad)
sec
! ft
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
rev
min
= 120
rev
min
! 2"
rad
rev
!
1
60
min
sec
= 4"
rad
sec
.

Them we have 4!
rad
sec
= 4!
rad
sec
"
180
!
deg
rad
= 720 per sec .


(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!
rad
sec
" 2. 5 ft = 10!
ft
sec
.

Converting to mph, we obtain

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



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

Note that the units actually come out as

1
hr
; however, radians are a suppressed unit
with regards to angular velocity. So we write (rad) / hr.

How many revolutions per minute are there with this spinning tire? Because one
revolution is 2" radians, we have

211,200
(rad)
hr
= 211,200
(rad)
hr
!

1
2!

rev
rad
!

1
60
hr
min
! 560.225 rpm.


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

Radius of Earth ! 6378.140 km = 6,378,140 m ! 3963.2 miles
Mass of Earth ! 5.974383 ! 10
24
kg
(Average) Gravity on Earth ! 9.80665 m/s
2
! 32.174 ft/s
2
.
1 Earth Day ! 24 hours

Conversions:
1000
1
m
km
,
3. 28084
1
ft
m
,
1
5280
mile
ft
,
1. 609344
1
km
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.


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

We also could say ! =

360
!
23 +
56
60
+
4.1
3600
!
"
#
$
%
& hr
! 15.041 per hour.

(Note that it takes just under 24 hours to rotate

360
!
, so every hour the Earth must
rotate a little more than 1/24th of a circle, or just over

15
!
.)

The linear velocity of Earth spin at the equator is about

v = ! r ! 0.262516
(rad)
hr
! 3963.2 miles ! 1040.4 mph.


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


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




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
!
1 ! 5 N latitude?
(b) Find the linear velocity of the Earths rotation at

28
!
1 ! 5 N.

(c) Find the distance between points at the following coordinates:


28
!
1 ! 5 N,

76
!
0 ! 8 E and

28
!
1 ! 5 N,

53
!
4 ! 4 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
min
"
2# (rad)
rev
= 900#
rad
min
. Converting to deg per sec, we have
! = 900"
rad
min
#
1
60
min
sec
#
180
"
deg
rad
= 2700 per sec .


(b) v = ! r = 900!
rad
min
! 2 ft !

60
min
hr
!

1
5280
mile
ft
! 64.26 mph.


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

! = v !

1
r
= 24
miles
hr
!
1
0. 5 ft
"
#
$
$
%
&
'
'
! 5280
ft
mile
= 253,440
(rad)
hr
.

Then 253,440
(rad)
hr
!

1
2!

rev
rad
!

1
60
hr
min
! 672.27 rpm.


3. (a) The radius is r ! 3963.2

cos(28. 25
!
) ! 3491.146 miles.

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

(c) We first find the angle between

76
!
0 ! 8 E and

53
!
4 ! 4 E which is given by

75
!
6 ! 8

53
!
4 ! 4 =

22
!
2 ! 4 =

22. 4
!
. The distance between the points is then s = !r =

22. 4
!
!
"
180
! 3491.146 ! 1364.8766 miles.


4. v = ! r =
2! (rad)
24 +
37
60
+
22. 662
3600
"
#
$
%
&
' hr
( 0. 532036 ( 3963. 2 miles ! 538.05 mph.