What is the unit of angular velocity for a moving child on a merry-go-round?

Click For Summary

Homework Help Overview

The discussion revolves around the unit of angular velocity in the context of a child moving on a merry-go-round, touching upon concepts of angular momentum and moment of inertia.

Discussion Character

  • Conceptual clarification, Assumption checking

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • Participants explore the relationship between angular momentum and angular velocity, questioning the conversion of units to radians per second. There is also consideration of the moment of inertia for the child in relation to the merry-go-round's motion.

Discussion Status

Some participants have provided insights regarding the units of angular velocity and the implications of the child's movement on the moment of inertia. Multiple interpretations of the problem are being explored, particularly concerning the child's contribution to the system.

Contextual Notes

There is mention of potential confusion regarding the dimensional nature of radians and degrees, as well as the specific conditions of the child's movement on the merry-go-round.

ciao_potter
Messages
5
Reaction score
0
Thread moved from the technical forums, so no Homework Helplate is Shown
The unit of angular momentum is kg * m^2 / s (or I * W). The moment of inertia for a point mass, mr^2's unit is kgm^2. That means the unit of W has to be 1/s. I'm having trouble converting this to radian/s.

Thank you!
 
Last edited:
Physics news on Phys.org
ciao_potter said:
653.4 kgm^2 = I * W = mr^2 * W
Has the child stopped moving?
ciao_potter said:
That means the unit of W has to be 1/s. I'm having trouble converting this to radian/s
It is already rad/s.
Radians and degrees are a bit strange in that they have units but, conventionally, not dimension.
As it happens, I wrote an article on this: https://www.physicsforums.com/insights/can-angles-assigned-dimension/
 
  • Like
Likes   Reactions: ciao_potter
Since the child moves with the merry-go-round, we have to consider a separate moment of inertia for Lindsey, right?
 
ciao_potter said:
Since the child moves with the merry-go-round, we have to consider a separate moment of inertia for Lindsey, right?
Yes.
 
  • Like
Likes   Reactions: ciao_potter

Similar threads

Replies
18
Views
7K
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
2K
  • · Replies 5 ·
Replies
5
Views
2K
Replies
8
Views
2K
  • · Replies 8 ·
Replies
8
Views
1K
Replies
335
Views
17K
Replies
5
Views
1K
  • · Replies 17 ·
Replies
17
Views
3K
Replies
3
Views
2K
Replies
10
Views
3K