Webpage title: Understanding Angular Displacement in Circular Motion

[goonking]

Homework Statement

I play swing a yo yo above my head in a circular horizontal motion.
The yoyo travels around 370 degrees.
what is the angular displacement?

Homework Equations

The Attempt at a Solution

would I say the angular displacement is 10 degrees? or still 370 degrees? or would both work? which one is preferred if both work?

 

[BvU]

A horse working to keep a water wheel going walks in circles. It knows the difference between 0 degrees and 36000 degrees displacement !

Idem for a sailor operating a winch: he does ten times as much work for a 3600 degree angular displacement as for a 1 full turn angular displacement. But his angular position after an integer number of turns is indistinguishable from the initial angular position.

On a practical note: it depends. So some judgment is indispensable.

 

[PWiz]

What is the difference between displacement and distance? Can you apply the same concept to angular displacement?

 

[goonking]

What is the difference between displacement and distance? Can you apply the same concept to angular displacement?

displacement is how the distance from starting point to ending. which is 10 degrees

distance is total distance traveled, which is 370 degrees.

but would i be wrong if i said displacement is 370 degrees?