How Do You Calculate Average Angular Acceleration with Axis Orientation Change?

In summary, the conversation discusses finding the average angular acceleration of a spinning wheel with its axis changing from vertical to horizontal. The initial and final velocities are given in terms of rpm, and the units are converted to rad/s2. However, the answer obtained is incorrect and it is suggested to also consider the change in orientation when calculating angular velocity.
  • #1
Aseri
1
0
A wheel is spinning at 44 with its axis vertical. After 15 , it's spinning at 60 with its axis horizontal. Find (a) the magnitude of its average angular acceleration and (b) the angle the average angular acceleration vector makes with the horizontal.

Just trying to work out what I'm doing wrong here to find the average angular acceleration.

I used angular acceleration = final velocity - initial velocity all divided by the time pasted.
(Also converted units from rpm to rad/s2 by multiplying by (2∏/60)So far my initial answer is 0.11 rad/s2 which is apparently wrong, any idea what I can be doing wrong here?
 
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  • #2
Aseri said:
A wheel is spinning at 44 with its axis vertical. After 15 , it's spinning at 60 with its axis horizontal.
What are the units here?
44rmp, 15mins, 60rpm ...
44rad/s, 15s, 60rad/s ...
something else?

Reading on - perhaps it is a mixture of unit types - rpm for frequency and s for time?
It is best practice to include units in the description.

Find (a) the magnitude of its average angular acceleration and (b) the angle the average angular acceleration vector makes with the horizontal.

Just trying to work out what I'm doing wrong here to find the average angular acceleration.

I used angular acceleration = final velocity - initial velocity all divided by the time pasted.
(Also converted units from rpm to rad/s2 by multiplying by (2∏/60)

So far my initial answer is 0.11 rad/s2 which is apparently wrong, any idea what I can be doing wrong here?
Did you include the change in orientation too? Angular velocity is a vector.

If it were linear motion and I said I'd been going 44m/s north and 15 seconds later I was going 60m/s south ... would the average acceleration be (60-44)/15 ?
 

FAQ: How Do You Calculate Average Angular Acceleration with Axis Orientation Change?

What is angular acceleration?

Angular acceleration is the rate of change of angular velocity with respect to time. It is a measure of how quickly an object's angular velocity is changing.

How is angular acceleration calculated?

Angular acceleration is calculated by dividing the change in angular velocity by the change in time. The units of angular acceleration are radians per second squared (rad/s²).

What is the difference between angular acceleration and linear acceleration?

Angular acceleration refers to the change in rotational motion, while linear acceleration refers to the change in straight-line motion. Angular acceleration is measured in radians per second squared (rad/s²), while linear acceleration is measured in meters per second squared (m/s²).

What factors affect angular acceleration?

The factors that affect angular acceleration include the mass and distribution of mass of the object, the force applied to the object, and the object's moment of inertia. Other factors such as friction and air resistance may also impact angular acceleration.

How is angular acceleration related to angular velocity?

Angular acceleration and angular velocity are related through the formula a = Δω/Δt, where a is angular acceleration, Δω is the change in angular velocity, and Δt is the change in time. This means that angular acceleration is the rate of change of angular velocity.

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