Rotational Motion

Honors Physics
Page 1 of 2

Notes : Translation versus Rotation

Name:

Date:

Kinematics versus Dynamics:

Kinematics: describes the motion of objects and systems without consideration of the forces that cause the motion
Kinematic quantities: displacement, velocity, acceleration
Dynamics: the study of the causes of motion and changes in motion
Dynamics studies forces and why objects are in motion.
Kinetics - subset of dynamics - studies the relationship between external forces and motion
Statics - subset of dynamics - studies the relations in a system at equilibrium
Translation versus Rotation
Translational motion (translation): movement that changes the position of an object
Rotational motion (rotation): circular motion of an object around a center of rotation
If the axis is within the body and passes through its center of mass, the body is said to rotate upon itself, or spin.
In rotation, the center of the object doesnt move but the outer parts circle around it.
While revolution is often used as a synonym for rotation, they are different. Revolution is used when one body
moves around another; in other words, the axis of rotation is not through the center of mass.
For each translational quantity, there is a corresponding rotational quantity.

How Far???
x

To recap, the quantities used in kinematics, both translational and

rotational are shown in the table below.

How Fast???
v

Translation

Quantity

Rotation

x (m)

displacement

(rad)

v (m/s)

velocity

(rad/s)

a (m/s2)

acceleration

(rad/s2)

t (s)

time

t (s)

How Does Velocity Change???

a

Remember from the lab that the radius of the revolution or rotation is
the link between linear and angular measurements. So . . .

v = r and a = r and x = r .

Clocks
Through how many radians does the second hand of a clock move every second?
What is the angular speed of the second hand in radians per second?

0.105 rad/s

How would you describe the direction of the movement of the second hand?
New November 2011

(/30) rad

Rotational Motion
Honors Physics
Page 2 of 2

Notes : Translation versus Rotation

Bugs on Clocks
A bug is crawling very slowly along the second hand of a clock.
Where is the bugs speed the largest? angular = same everywhere, linear = at far end of hand
How fast is the bug moving when it is moving the fastest?
Does the bug experience angular acceleration?

angular = 0.105 rad/s

no - angular speed is constant everywhere

Is it possible for the bug to remain at rest while still clinging at some point to the second hand? (Why not or
where?) sit at the axis of rotation.
Notice the analogs to the simple equations . . .

Translation

For each of the one-dimensional translational kinematic equations,

there is also a corresponding rotational analog.

Rotation

Translational

Rotational

v=dt

speed

=t

v = vo + at

= o + t

a = v t

acceleration

= t

x = vot + 1/2 at2

= ot + 1/2 t2

v2 = vo2 + 2 a x

2 = o2 + 2

Practice 1: The platter of a hard disk of a computer rotates at 5400 rpm (revolutions per minute). (a) What is the angular velocity of the disk in rad/s? (b) If the reading head of the drive is located 3.00cm from the axis of rotation, what is
the linear speed of the disk below it in m/s? (c) If a single bit requires 5.00m of length along the motion direction, how
many bits per second can the writing head write when it is 3.00cm from its axis of rotation?
(a) 5400rev/min x 1min/60s x 2 rad/rev = 565 rad/s
(b) v = r = (565 rad/s)(0.0300m) = 17.0 m/s
(c) 17.0 m/s x (1 bit/5.00x10-6m) = 3.40x106 bits/s

Practice 2: A centrifuge rotor is accelerated from rest to 2975 rad/s in 5.00minutes. What is its angular acceleration in
rad/sec2?
2975 rad/s - 0 rad/s = 2975 rad/s2 =
= / t = = 2975 rad/s 300.s = 9.92 rad/s2

Practice 3: Through how many revolutions has the centrifuge rotor in the previous practice problem turned during its
acceleration period? Assume constant angular acceleration.
= ot + 0.5t2 = 0 + 0.5(9.92rad/s2)(300.s)2 = 446000 rad
446000rad x 1rev/2 rad = 7.10x104 rev

Practice 4: A bicycle slows down uniformly from vo = 8.40m/s to rest over a distance of 115m. Each wheel and tire has
an overall diameter of 68.0cm. Determine (a) the angular velocity of the wheels at the initial instant, (b) the angular acceleration of the wheel, (c) the time it took for the bicycle to come to to a stop, and (d) the total number of revolutions each
wheel rotates in coming to rest,
(a) v = r
= v/r = 8.40 m/s 0.340m = 24.7 rad/s
(b) 02 = (8.40m/s)2 + 2(a)(115m)
a = -0.307 m/s2
= a/r = -0.307m/s2/0.340m = -0.903rad/s2
(c) 0 = 24.7 rad/s + (-0.903 rad/s2)t
t = 27.4s
(d) = (24.7rad/s)(27.4s) + 0.5(-0.903rad/s2)(27.4s)2 = 338 rad = 53.8 rev

New November 2011