This web page allows you to convert the different angular velocity units and answers the following questions in particular: What is angular velocity and how is it calculated? What is the history of the unit of measurement for angular velocity? What are some practical uses of angular velocity? What are some example values of angular velocity in different units of measurement? How can one convert between different units of angular velocity?
Angular velocity is the speed of an object's rotation and is a measure of how quickly an object can turn. It can be calculated by dividing the number of revolutions per unit time by the circumference of the body in which the rotation is taking place. It most often refers to rotational velocity, although it can also refer to linear velocity. In physics, the standard unit for angular velocity is radians per second (rad/s). This is the amount of rotation of a body divided by the time taken for that rotation.
The use of angular velocity has been around for centuries, with its first use seen in the late 18th century, when the French scientist Pierre-Simon Laplace used it to refer to the speed of a spinning body. Subsequently, the unit radians per second was adopted for use in the scientific community. In addition to this unit, other units were also developed for use in the measurement of angular velocity, such as rotations per minute (rpm) and degrees per second (°/s). Each of these units has its own distinct application and measurement range.
Angular velocity is used to measure the speed of many civilian and military applications. Civilian applications include measuring the speed of a spacecraft in orbit around a planet, or calculating the head or wind speed of a vehicle on the road. Military applications include tracking the movement of airplanes, ships, or satellites. Angular velocity can also be used to measure the speed of a spinning fan, or even the seemingly fast-paced movements of animals in nature.
Due to its versatile applications and usage, there are numerous examples of reference or record values of angular velocity in the different units of measurement. Below is a list of such values along with their respective units.
When converting between the different units of angular velocity, it is important to note the relationship between the two units. Conversion is usually done using the following relationships: 1 revolution is equal to 360°, 1 radian is equal to 57.29°, and 1 cycle is equal to 2π radians. It is also possible to convert more complex units such as revolutions per minute to revolutions per second by multiplying by 60.