Angular displacement in radians problem

In summary, the conversation discusses finding the angular displacement after 45 seconds for a wheel spinning at a rate of 46.07669 radians/s. The poster initially got an answer of 2073.45105, but was unsure if it was correct. Further information is provided, such as the wheel making 22 revolutions in 3 seconds, and the possibility of the speed being constant. There is some confusion over whether the answer should be expressed as a number less than 2π or if it is a matter of significant figures. The concept of angular displacement is also discussed, with a clarification that it is not the same as angular distance.
  • #1
bikerboi92
8
0

Homework Statement



what is the angular displacement after 45 second if a wheel spins at 46.07669 radians/s

Homework Equations






The Attempt at a Solution



i got 2073.45105 and i don't know why that is not right
 
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  • #2
Looks OK to me.

Is that the exact statement of the problem?
 
  • #3
the wheel makes 22 revolutions in 3 seconds

thats the only other information
 
  • #4
Biker, I wonder if you are supposed to express your answer as a number less than 2*pi (360 degrees). Who cares how many full turns there were?
 
  • #5
bikerboi92 said:
the wheel makes 22 revolutions in 3 seconds
Is the speed constant? Or does it start from rest? (Unless you post the exact question--word for word--we can only guess if there's something you might have missed.)

Your solution assumes a constant speed.
 
  • #6
bikerboi92 said:
the wheel makes 22 revolutions in 3 seconds

thats the only other information

Like Doc Al said, if they mention that the disk started from rest and has constant angular acceleration, then the solution is different than what you did.

On the other hand, if they say that it is rotating at constant angular velocity, your calculation is correct. But the problem may be one of sig figs. Do they say 22 revolutions in 3 seconds or 22 revolutions in 3.0 seconds? Or 22.0 revolutions in 3.00 seconds?
Depending on th eprecision they want, the answer they are looking for could be 2070 rad or 2100 rad.
 
  • #7
nrqed said:
[..]Depending on th eprecision they want, the answer they are looking for could be 2070 rad or 2100 rad.

Wait a minute! Displacement isn't the same as distance. Angular distance is what you have posted(2070 etc). Displacement is a vector which describes a change in position of a point or particle in reference to a previous position. In this case it's a rotational movement (I hope that's the term in English) and angular displacement, which means it can't be more than [tex]\pi[/tex] radians. For example if it has rotated [tex]\pi[/tex] / 2 radians that that's the angular displacement, if it has rotated 100[tex]\pi[/tex] radians, than the displacement is 0 because the object, point or whatever is rotating is again in the starting position after making 50 full turns. If it has rotated 3[tex]\pi[/tex] / 2 radians, the displacement is [tex]\pi[/tex]/2 radians, because it is only [tex]\pi[/tex]/2 radians away from the initial position. Don't confuse distance with displacement.
 
  • #8
kbaumen said:
Wait a minute! Displacement isn't the same as distance.
Interesting point! (Which I suppose is what Delphi51 was getting at earlier.)

See if they just want the change in angle (mod 2π). (It's worth a shot.)

But I disagree that this is common usage, since angular motion is one dimensional. The parallel kinematic equations would be (for uniformly accelerated motion):

[tex]x = x_0 + v_0t + 1/2 a t^2[/tex] (For linear motion.)

[tex]\theta = \theta_0 + \omega_0t + 1/2 \alpha t^2[/tex] (For rotation.)

Just like x is the linear displacement, so is θ the total angular "displacement" (not mod 2π).
 
  • #9
Doc Al said:
Interesting point! (Which I suppose is what Delphi51 was getting at earlier.)

See if they just want the change in angle (mod 2π). (It's worth a shot.)

But I disagree that this is common usage, since angular motion is one dimensional. The parallel kinematic equations would be (for uniformly accelerated motion):

[tex]x = x_0 + v_0t + 1/2 a t^2[/tex] (For linear motion.)

[tex]\theta = \theta_0 + \omega_0t + 1/2 \alpha t^2[/tex] (For rotation.)

Just like x is the linear displacement, so is θ the total angular "displacement" (not mod 2π).

I googled angular displacement and got to this http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angular_displacement" . And it says the same thing. So I guess I was wrong. In a sense, angular motion is analogical to one-dimensional straight-line movement. So you are right about the displacement. I apologize for my intrusion.
 
Last edited by a moderator:

1. What is angular displacement in radians?

Angular displacement in radians is a measure of the angle through which an object has rotated, expressed in terms of the length of the arc along the circumference of a circle. It is usually denoted by the symbol θ and is measured in radians.

2. How is angular displacement in radians different from degrees?

Angular displacement in radians and degrees are two ways of measuring angles. While degrees are based on dividing a circle into 360 equal parts, radians are based on the length of the arc along the circumference of a circle. One radian is equivalent to approximately 57.3 degrees.

3. How do you calculate angular displacement in radians?

To calculate angular displacement in radians, you need to know the initial and final positions of the object, measured in radians. The angular displacement is then given by the difference between these two positions. You can also use the formula Δθ = s/r, where Δθ is the angular displacement, s is the length of the arc, and r is the radius of the circle.

4. Can angular displacement in radians be negative?

Yes, angular displacement in radians can be negative. This happens when the object rotates in a clockwise direction, which is considered the negative direction. Positive angular displacement occurs when the object rotates in a counterclockwise direction.

5. What are some real-world applications of angular displacement in radians?

Angular displacement in radians is used in many fields, including physics, engineering, and navigation. It is particularly useful for measuring rotational motion, such as the rotation of a wheel or the movement of a pendulum. It is also used in calculating the angular velocity and acceleration of objects. In navigation, it is used to determine the direction and distance of an object based on its angular displacement from a reference point.

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