Chapter 1

Rotational Motion
(angular quantities)

By:
Nurul Nazwa Binti Mohammd
Faculty of Applied Sciences
Universiti Teknologi Mara
Cawangan Perak Kampus Tapah
nurul.nazwa@uitm.edu.my
 Lesson Outcome
• At the end of this chapter you should be able to:
• Define and write the equation related to angular displacement,
angular velocity, angular acceleration and rotational kinematics.
• State the relationship between angular quantities and linear
quantities
• Solve the problem using rotational kinematics equation.
• Define and solve simple problems of torque and static equilibrium.
• Define and understand the concepts of moments of inertia, angular
momentum and its conservation.
• Understand the concept and solve its simple problem regarding
rotational kinetics energy, conservation of energy in translational and
rotational
 Lesson Content

Rotational Motion

• 1.1 Angular displacement, angular velocity,

angular acceleration and rotational kinematics.
• 1.2 Torque (Relationship between torque and
angular acceleration)
 Rotational Motion VS
Linear Motion
• Linear motion involves an object moves from one point to another in a
straight line.
• It involves the relationships between the quantities displacement (d),
velocity (v), acceleration (a), and time (t).

• Rotational motion involves an object rotating about an axis.

• When a rigid object rotates about a fixed axis, each point of the
object moves in a circular path.
o Examples
• a merry go round
• A spnnign top
• Rotating earth
• Motion of the blades of
the helicopter
 Rotational Motion
•Definition :The act or process of turning around a centre or an axis.

•The object rotates about an axis, which we will call the pivot point, and will label 'O'.

Reference
axis

P
c
b
a
• All points on a straight
Reference line oabc move from
a b c axis reference axis to P will
have same angle,θ in the
same time
 1.1 Rotational Motion Parameter

• There are several parameters in rotational

motion have to define :

• Angular position,θ
• Angular Displacement,Δθ
• Angular velocity, ω
• Angular Acceleration, α
 ROTATIONAL VARIABLES
Table below shows the symbols used in
linear and rotational motion.
ROTATIONAL
LINEAR MOTION QUANTITY
MOTION

Displacement
Initial velocity
Final velocity
Acceleration
Time
1.1 Rotational Motion Parameter
❑ Angular position
• Angular position, θ is the ratio of the arc length, s and radius, r, of the
corresponding circle.

where: O
θ = angular displacement/angle (in rad)
r = radius of the circular path. (in meter)
s = length of arc (in meter)

• Unit: in radians (degrees, revolutions)

So, for a complete circle,

1 revolution = 2π rad = 3600

 Example 1
1) Express the following angles in radians: (a) 420º
(b) 360º.
Ans: (a) 7.330 rad (b) 6.283 rad

2) Express the following revolutions in radians: (a) 2.5

rev (b) 0.897 rev Ans : (a) 15.708 rad (b) 5.636 rad

3) Express the following radians in revolutions: (a) 7.8

rad (b) 0.5 rad Ans: (a) 1.241 rev (b) 0.080 rev

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 Angular displacement
• When an object (e.g the bicycle wheel) rotates from some initial point,
θi to some final point, θf its angular displacement is

Angular displacement, ∆θ = θf - θi
θi is initial angular position θi

Reference axis
θf ,final angular position

θf
• Unit : radian (rad) or revolution (rev) or degree (o)
θi

Reference axis
 Angular velocity
•

Unit :rad/s (radian per seconds)

or
rps (revolution per seconds)
or
rpm (revolution per minutes)
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 Example 2
Express the 2.51 rev/minutes in rad/s. Ans: 0.263
rad/s

Express the 10.72 rad/s in rev/minutes . Ans: 102.369

rev/min
 Example 3
Realizing that the Earth makes one complete revolution every 24 hours,
we can estimate the magnitude of the Earth’s angular velocity as:
 Angular acceleration
•

θf

θi
Reference axis
 Example 4
A frog rides a unicycle. If the unicycle wheel begins at rest, and
accelerates uniformly in a counter-clockwise direction to an angular
velocity of 15 rpms in a time of 6 seconds, find the angular acceleration of
the unicycle wheel.
First, convert 15 rpms to rads/s.

Next, use the definition of angular acceleration.

 Example 5
A centrifuge rotor is accelerated from rest to
20,000 rpm in 5 minute. What is its average angular
acceleration?
Given ω = 20,000 rev/min = 2094.4 rad/s
t = 5 min = 300 s
ωi = 0 , α = …..

Ans : 6.98 rad/s

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 Other parameters...
• Period of rotation, T
The time taken to rotate through one
round
SI unit: s

• Frequency of rotation, f
the number of rotation performed per unit
time
SI unit: s-1, Hz

• Relation between frequency of rotation

and angular velocity.
 Example 6
A object undergoes circular motion with uniform angular
speed 100 r.p.m. Determine:
a) the period
b) the frequency of revolution.
Ans :0.6s, 1.67 Hz
 Relationship between angular
and linear quantities
If a reference line on a rigid body rotates through an
angle θ, a point within the body at a position r from the
rotation axis moves a distance s along a circular arc,
where s is given by:

Arc length s:

Thus:

s = Displacement (m)
ω = Angular displacement (rad)
r = radius (m) Planar, rigid object rotating
about origin O.
 Relationship between angular
and linear quantities

• Every point on a rotating body has an

angular velocity ω and a linear
velocity v.

• They are related:

ω

v = Linear/ Tangential velocity (m/s)

ω = Angular velocity (rad/s)
r = radius (m)

• The direction of the linear velocity, v,

is always directed along the tangent to the
circular path
 Cont..
•Therefore, objects farther from the axis of rotation will
move faster, since rB > rA.
Relationship between angular and linear quantities
There are two component of linear acceleration :
a) Tangential acceleration, at
b) Radial acceleration, ar

at and ar perpendicular to
each other

Resultant Acceleration,
 When the angular velocity,ω of a rotating object changes,
-it will have both types of acceleration:
(1) tangential acceleration, at,

(2) Radial/centripetal acceleration, ar.

- The total acceleration of the body

When a body moves in a uniform circular motion, means

the object rotates with constant angular velocity,ω in time t.
- there is no angular acceleration (α = 0)
- tangential acceleration,( atan=0),
- There will only be centripetal/radial acceleration, ar of the
object.
 Resultant Acceleration

• The tangential component of acceleration

is due to changing speed.
• The centripetal component of the
acceleration is due to changing direction.
• Total acceleration can be found from these
components:
 Relationship between
angular and linear quantities
Arc length s:

Tangential speed of a point P:

Tangential acceleration of a point P:

Note: This is not the centripetal
acceleration ar
This is the tangential acceleration at
 Example 7
What is the linear speed of a point on the edge of a
steadily rotating 33 rpm (revolution per minute)
phonograph record whose diameter is 30 cm?

Ans : 0.53 m/s

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 Example 8
A car that has tires with radius 20.0 cm (0.200 m)
begins to accelerate forward. The acceleration comes
from the engine, which produces an angular
acceleration of the tires α = 12.0 rad/s2. What is the
tangential acceleration of the tires?

Ans : 2.4 m/s2

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 Example 9
Calculate the centripetal acceleration of a point 7.5
cm from the axis of an ultracentrifuge spinning at 7.5
x 10-4 revolutions per minute.

Ans: 4.63 x 10-10

m/s2

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Example 10
 Example 11
A carousel is initially at rest. At t = 8 s it is given an angular velocity of the
carousel ω = 0.48 rad/s and angular acceleration of 0.06rad/s2. If a child is
located 2.5 m from the center; determine the magnitude of the following
quantities:
(a) the linear velocity of a child;
(b) the tangential (linear) acceleration of that child;
(c) the centripetal acceleration of the child; and
(d) the total linear acceleration of the child.

Ans: (a) 1.2 m/s (b) 0.15 m/s2 (c) 0.576 m/s2 (d) 0.595 m/s2
 Exercise 3
1) Determine the linear velocity of a point rotating with an angular
velocity of ω = 6.1π radians per minutes at a distance r = 1.8 m
from the center of the rotating object. Ans : 0.575 m/s
2) An object at a distance 20 m from the center is rotating on a
circular path. The linear velocity of the object is 150 m per minute.
What is the angular velocity of the rotating platform? Ans : 0.125
rad/s

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 Exercise 3
3) A child spins a toy top, applying a force to the peg in the middle. The
force applied results in a tangential acceleration of the peg. If the
radius of the peg is 0.50 cm, and the tangential acceleration applied is
atan = 0.540 m/s2, what is the angular acceleration of the top.
Ans: 108 rad/s2
4) A race car accelerates around a circular track of radius r meter with
an angular acceleration of 4.8 x 10-3 rad/s2 and the tangential
acceleration of 3 m/s2 . Calculate the radius of the track. Ans: 625 m

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 Exercise 3
5) Calculate the radial acceleration of a stone on a string if the stone
moves in circular motion at a constant speed of 4 m s-1 on a string of
length 0.75 m. Ans: 21.333 m/s2
6) The linear velocity of the car is 40 m/s. What is the radius of the
circular track if the radial acceleration of the car is 80 m/s2 ?

Ans: 20 m

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 Exercise 4

7. For the child on the rotating carousel, determine

that child’s:
a) Tangential acceleration
b) Centripetal acceleration
c) Total acceleration

Ans : a) 0.15 ms-2 b)

0.58 ms-2
c) 0.60 ms-2

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 Kinematic equation for
angular quantities
Linear motion with Rotational motion with
constant linear constant rotational
acceleration, a. acceleration, α.
 Example 12
A pottery wheel is accelerated uniformly from rest to a
rotation speed of 10 rpm in 30 seconds. a) 0.0349 rad/s2
a) What was the angular acceleration? (in rad/s2) b) 2.50 revolutions
b) How many revolutions did the wheel undergo during
that time?
 Example 13
A carpenter cuts a piece of wood with a high powered
circular saw. The saw blade accelerates from rest with an
angular acceleration of 14 rad/s2 to a maximum speed of
15,000 rpms.
a) What is the maximum speed of the saw in radians per
second?
b) How long does it take the saw to reach its maximum
speed?
c)How many complete rotations does the saw make while
accelerating to its maximum speed?
 Example 14
A wheel turning with angular speed of 30 rev/s is brought to rest with constant acceleration.
It turns 60 revolutions before it stops.
a) What is its angular acceleration?
b) What time elapsed before it stops?

Solution:

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 Example 15
During an analysis of a helicopter engine, you have
determined that the rotor’s velocity changes from
320 rev/min to 225 rev/min in 1.50 minutes as the
rotor slowed down to a stop.
a) What is the average angular acceleration of the
rotor blades during the interval?
 Example 16
A disc has a constant angular acceleration of 2 rads-2.
At t = 0 s, the tangential velocity is 4 m s-1. The diameter of the disc is
15 cm. Compute the
a) initial angular speed of the disc
b) angular speed and angular displacement of the disc at t = 8 s
c) angular displacement in revolution in 8 s
d) time taken for the disc to complete one rotation

Ans: 53.33 rad s-1, 69.33 rad s-1, 490.64 rad, 78.09 rev, 117.30 ms
 Exercise 5
1) The blades in a blender rotate at a constant rate of
6500 rpm. What is the angular displacements of
the
blades in 4 s. Ans: 2722.72 rads

2) You have a toy plane on a string that goes around

three complete circles in 9.0 s. What is its angular
velocity in rev/min? Ans: 20 rev/min

3) If an object changes it angular velocity from 10

rad/s
to 25 rad/s in 3 seconds. Calculate angular
acceleration in rad/s2. Ans: 5 rad/s2
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 Exercise 5
•
The End