PHYSICS 1D03 Study Guide - Final Guide: Angular Acceleration, Angular Displacement, Gravitational Energy

• School: McMaster University
• Department: Physics
• Course: PHYSICS 1D03
• Professor: Reza Nejat

Document Summary

Angular position is the angle between the reference line and the x-axis. Plays the same role as distance x in linear motion. Angular displacement is final - initial. Acceleration is positive when a rigid object is rotating counterclockwise , its negative when rotating clockwise. To figure out which way the acceleration goes, use the right-hand rule: point your fingers in the direction of rotation, the thumb points in the direction of acceleration. Use the equations from linear motion but with rotational variables. Because it"s circular motion, the translational velocity vector is always tangential to the circle path, and is therefore called tangential velocity. Although every point on the rigid object has the same angular speed, not every point has the same tangential speed, because r is not the same for all points. Tangential acceleration increases with the larger the radius.