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5.2.01 Study Guide - Example

physics study guide

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10 views

5.2.01 Study Guide - Example

physics study guide

Uploaded by

jacobtutoring9
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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5.2.

01 Conversion Between Angular and Linear Variables

[ 5.2.A.1 5.2.A.2 5.2.A.3 ]

In addition to the angular position, angular velocity, and angular acceleration of a rotating object, the motion of a
particular point on the rotating object is described by the linear displacement, linear velocity, and linear
acceleration of that point. For example, a 0.25 m radius wheel may rotate with an angular velocity of 2 rad/s, and
a point located at the edge of the wheel will have a linear velocity of 0.5 m/s.

Angular Motion Variables

To review, the angular velocity ω of a rotating object is the ratio of its angular displacement Δθ and the change in
time Δt:

∆θ
ω=
∆t

Furthermore, an object's angular acceleration α is the ratio of its change in angular velocity Δω and Δt:

∆ω
α=
∆t

Converting Angular Variables to Linear Variables

A specific point on a rotating object (or an object within a rotating system) undergoes linear motion described by
its linear displacement (L34707) Δx, linear velocity (L41941) v, and linear acceleration (L47266) a. The linear
motion of the point is directly proportional (L46294) to both the point's distance r from the rotational axis of the
object (or the rotational axis of the system) and the corresponding angular motion variable of the rotating object
(or the rotating system):

∆ x=∆ θ ∙r

v=ωr

a=αr

As a simple example, consider the two pullies shown in Figure 5.4 that have different radii, 0.1 m and 0.3 m, but
are rotating with the same angular velocity, 5 rad/s. The linear velocity v1 of a point at the edge of the smaller
pulley equals the product of the angular velocity ω and the radius r1 of the pulley:

v 1=ω r 1= 5 ( rad
s )
( 0.1m )=0.5
m
s

Because the radius r2 of the larger pulley is three times greater, the linear velocity v2 of a point at the edge of the
larger pulley is also three times greater:

v 2=ω r 2= 5 ( rad
s )
( 0.3 m )=1.5
m
s

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Therefore, these two pullies have the same angular velocity, but the linear velocities at their edges are different
because they have different radii.

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Figure 5.4 Linear velocities at edges of two pulleys with different radii.

Consider the motion of passenger baskets on a Ferris wheel at an amusement park, as shown in Figure 5.5.
Each basket is attached 20 m from the center of the wheel. The wheel rotates with an angular velocity of 0.2
rad/s for 30 s. Both the angular and linear displacement of each basket can be calculated over this period of
time.

Each of the baskets on the Ferris wheel moves along a circular path of radius r equal to 20 m with an angular
velocity ω of 0.2 rad/s for a time interval Δt of 30 s. Their angular displacement Δθ is equal to the product of ω
and Δt:

∆ θ=ω ∙ ∆ t= 0.2( rad


s )
( 30 s ) =6 rad

Furthermore, their linear displacement Δx equals the product of Δθ and r:

∆ x=∆ θ ∙r =( 6 rad ) ( 20 m )=120 m

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In this case, each basket is the same distance from the Ferris wheel's axis of rotation, and therefore they each
experience the same linear displacement.

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Figure 5.5 Calculating the angular and linear displacement of a Ferris wheel basket.

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