Angular acceleration
Encyclopedia
Angular acceleration is the rate of change of angular velocity
over time
. In SI
units, it is measured in radian
s per second
squared (㎯，rad/s2), and is usually denoted by the Greek letter alpha
(α).
, or
,
where
is the angular velocity
,
is the linear tangential acceleration, and r is the distance from the origin of the coordinate system
that defines
and 
to the point of interest.
, Newton's second law can be adapted to describe the relation between torque
and angular acceleration:
,
where
is the total torque exerted on the body, and 
is the mass moment of inertia
of the body.
, of an object, the angular acceleration will also be constant. For this special case of constant angular acceleration, the above equation will produce a definitive, constant value for the angular acceleration:
is known as the equation of motion of the system and can completely describe the motion of the object. It is also the best way to calculate the angular velocity.
Angular velocity
In physics, the angular velocity is a vector quantity which specifies the angular speed of an object and the axis about which the object is rotating. The SI unit of angular velocity is radians per second, although it may be measured in other units such as degrees per second, revolutions per...
over time
Time
Time is a part of the measuring system used to sequence events, to compare the durations of events and the intervals between them, and to quantify rates of change such as the motions of objects....
. In SI
Si
Si, si, or SI may refer to :- Measurement, mathematics and science :* International System of Units , the modern international standard version of the metric system...
units, it is measured in radian
Radian
Radian is the ratio between the length of an arc and its radius. The radian is the standard unit of angular measure, used in many areas of mathematics. The unit was formerly a SI supplementary unit, but this category was abolished in 1995 and the radian is now considered a SI derived unit...
s per second
Second
The second is a unit of measurement of time, and is the International System of Units base unit of time. It may be measured using a clock....
squared (㎯，rad/s2), and is usually denoted by the Greek letter alpha
Alpha (letter)
Alpha is the first letter of the Greek alphabet. In the system of Greek numerals it has a value of 1. It was derived from the Phoenician letter Aleph...
(α).
Mathematical definition
The angular acceleration can be defined as either: , or ,where
is the angular velocityAngular velocity
In physics, the angular velocity is a vector quantity which specifies the angular speed of an object and the axis about which the object is rotating. The SI unit of angular velocity is radians per second, although it may be measured in other units such as degrees per second, revolutions per...
,
is the linear tangential acceleration, and r is the distance from the origin of the coordinate systemCoordinate system
In geometry, a coordinate system is a system which uses one or more numbers, or coordinates, to uniquely determine the position of a point or other geometric element. The order of the coordinates is significant and they are sometimes identified by their position in an ordered tuple and sometimes by...
that defines
and to the point of interest.Equations of motion
For two-dimensional rotational motionRotation
A rotation is a circular movement of an object around a center of rotation. A three-dimensional object rotates always around an imaginary line called a rotation axis. If the axis is within the body, and passes through its center of mass the body is said to rotate upon itself, or spin. A rotation...
, Newton's second law can be adapted to describe the relation between torque
Torque
Torque, moment or moment of force , is the tendency of a force to rotate an object about an axis, fulcrum, or pivot. Just as a force is a push or a pull, a torque can be thought of as a twist....
and angular acceleration:
,where
is the total torque exerted on the body, and is the mass moment of inertiaMoment of inertia
In classical mechanics, moment of inertia, also called mass moment of inertia, rotational inertia, polar moment of inertia of mass, or the angular mass, is a measure of an object's resistance to changes to its rotation. It is the inertia of a rotating body with respect to its rotation...
of the body.
Constant acceleration
For all constant values of the torque,, of an object, the angular acceleration will also be constant. For this special case of constant angular acceleration, the above equation will produce a definitive, constant value for the angular acceleration:Non-constant acceleration
For any non-constant torque, the angular acceleration of an object will change with time. The equation becomes a differential equation instead of a constant value. This differential equationDifferential equation
A differential equation is a mathematical equation for an unknown function of one or several variables that relates the values of the function itself and its derivatives of various orders...
is known as the equation of motion of the system and can completely describe the motion of the object. It is also the best way to calculate the angular velocity.
See also
- Angular momentumAngular momentumIn physics, angular momentum, moment of momentum, or rotational momentum is a conserved vector quantity that can be used to describe the overall state of a physical system...
- Angular speed
- Angular velocityAngular velocityIn physics, the angular velocity is a vector quantity which specifies the angular speed of an object and the axis about which the object is rotating. The SI unit of angular velocity is radians per second, although it may be measured in other units such as degrees per second, revolutions per...
- RotationRotationA rotation is a circular movement of an object around a center of rotation. A three-dimensional object rotates always around an imaginary line called a rotation axis. If the axis is within the body, and passes through its center of mass the body is said to rotate upon itself, or spin. A rotation...
- SpinSpin (physics)In quantum mechanics and particle physics, spin is a fundamental characteristic property of elementary particles, composite particles , and atomic nuclei.It is worth noting that the intrinsic property of subatomic particles called spin and discussed in this article, is related in some small ways,...