Angular Acceleration
Definition
Angular acceleration refers to the rate at which an object's angular velocity changes over time. It measures how quickly an object is speeding up or slowing down its rotation.
Analogy
Imagine you're riding a merry-go-round and suddenly someone pushes it faster. The angular acceleration would be how quickly your speed on the merry-go-round increases.
Related terms
Angular Velocity: The rate at which an object rotates around a fixed axis, measured in radians per second (rad/s).
Torque: The twisting force that causes an object to rotate, measured in Newton-meters (Nm).
Moment of Inertia: A measure of an object's resistance to changes in its rotational motion, based on its mass distribution and shape.
"Angular Acceleration" appears in:
Subjects (1)
Study guides (3)
Additional resources (2)
Practice Questions (10)
What is the torque needed for an object with a moment of inertia of 0.25kgm^2 at rest to reach an angular acceleration of 3 rad/s^2
If an object's moment of inertia remains constant but its angular acceleration quadruples, how is the torque affected?
Suppose 2 hoops rotating with the same angular acceleration are placed onto a rough surface at the same time. The first hoop has a mass of M while the second has a mass of 2M but they both have the same radius. Which hoop will stop rotating first?
An object has an angular acceleration of 5 rad/s^2. What is the change in angular velocity in 2 seconds?
A wheel starts from rest and undergoes constant angular acceleration for 3 seconds. If it rotates through an angular displacement of 12 radians during this time, what is the angular acceleration of the wheel?
A disk has an initial angular velocity of 3 rad/s and a final angular velocity of 8 rad/s after 5 seconds. What is the angular acceleration of the disk?
A wheel is rotating counterclockwise at a constant angular acceleration. What can be said about its angular velocity?
An object has an angular acceleration of 5 rad/s^2. What is the change in angular velocity in 2 seconds?
A disk has an angular velocity of 4 rad/s and an angular acceleration of -2 rad/s^2. What is its angular velocity after 3 seconds?
A rotating wheel starts from rest and accelerates with a constant angular acceleration of 2 rad/s^2 for 5 seconds. What is the angular displacement of the wheel during this time?
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