# Angular frequency descriptive term

1. Sep 12, 2006

### FrankMak

Is there a descriptive term for an angular frequency that is always equal to 2Pi, differing only by a tens multiple or division?

Equivalently, is there a descriptive term for the wavelength associated with the above value. Dividing any tens multiple or division of 2Pi into the speed of light produces a numeric value of 4771345..... differing only in decimal point placement.

2. Sep 12, 2006

### Staff: Mentor

Angular frequency has units of radians per second, or $$s^{-1}$$

Are you thinking of the term harmonic?

3. Sep 13, 2006

### FrankMak

No, not a harmonic, only tens multiples or divisions. Angular frequency is the descriptive term to describe "any" result that is arrived at using 2Pi x freq.

As a frequency, any result that gives a tens multiple or division of 2Pi is essentially a "generic angular frequency" for a wave. If you start out with an angular frequency where the frequency is "one", that value can represent any full wave regardless of its length. If I start adding a tens multiplier to the 2Pi value and convert that to a wavelength, I get a "base" wavelength for any wavelength in that tens range.

As a frequency, when 2Pi or any tens multiple or division of that value converted to a wavelength gives a numeric value of 47713..... differing only in decimal point. The 47713... value might be construed as a "generic wavelength".

There isn't a defintion for a "generic angular frequency", or for a "generic wavelength". I want to know if there are existing descriptive terms that describe that particular frequency and wavelength relationship.

4. Sep 13, 2006

### Staff: Mentor

I honestly have no idea what you are talking about. A factor of 10 is called a decade, and it's common to think in terms of decades when dealing with frequency on a log scale.

5. Sep 14, 2006

### FrankMak

When you mentioned that it is usual to think of frequency in terms of decades I realized that I have to distinguish between frequency and angular frequency when I convert to wavelength, one giving "normal" wavelength and the other "angular wavelength".

The definition for "angular wavelength" is dividing normal wavelength by 2Pi.

http://vip.ocsnet.net/~ancient/Freq-AngularFreq.pdf" [Broken]

After going in circles on this for awhile you made me realize I was in an erroneous mental logic loop.

I recall a quote from a book, "Boltzmanns Atom", where Neils Bohr is quoted saying to Einstein, "No, No, you are not thinking, you are just being logical."

I think you have helped me solve a several thousand year old mathematical problem. I thank you.

Last edited by a moderator: May 2, 2017