Angular Acceleration
Reference from the original Physics I textbook.
- Angular Acceleration
Angular acceleration is the rate of change of angular velocity: α⃗ = dω⃗/dt. For fixed-axis rotation its signed scalar value is α = dω/dt.
- Related Glossary Terms
Angular to Linear Acceleration Equation, Angular to Linear Velocity Equation, Angular Velocity↗
- Index
Reviewed physics notes (1)
These corrections keep the original lesson’s purpose while fixing errors in the source edition.
- Original fails to distinguish angular acceleration from linear acceleration. — Reference 1
Glossary and deeper reading · 2 refreshers
These editorial refreshers supplement the reading. Definitions and examples are added guidance; original source wording and recorded answers remain in their original context.
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Angular acceleration
Angular acceleration is the rate of change of angular velocity. For a fixed axis its sign follows the chosen positive rotation direction, and its units are radians per second squared. For example, a fan speeding up has angular acceleration, whereas one turning steadily does not.
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Angular velocity
Angular velocity describes the rate and direction of rotation about an axis. For a fixed axis, a signed angular velocity is measured in radians per second, while its magnitude is angular speed. For example, points on one rigid turntable share the same angular speed even though outer points have greater linear speeds.