What kind of relationship does tangential speed and rotational speed have? (Inverse or direct)

Physics · Middle School · Sun Jan 24 2021

Answered on

Tangential speed and rotational speed have a direct relationship.

When we speak of rotational speed, we are referring to how fast an object is spinning or rotating, typically measured in revolutions per minute (RPM) or radians per second (rad/s). Tangential speed, on the other hand, is the linear speed of a point located at a certain radius from the center of the rotation, measured in meters per second (m/s) or any other linear speed unit.

The relationship between tangential speed (v) and rotational speed (ω) is given by the following formula:

v = r × ω

where: - v is the tangential speed, - r is the radius of the circular path, and - ω is the angular speed (rotational speed).

From the above equation, you can see that for a given radius, if the rotational speed increases, the tangential speed increases proportionally. This demonstrates a direct relationship, meaning that if one increases, the other increases as well, and if one decreases, the other decreases in tandem.

Related Questions