Angular velocity
This article is about the analogue, from linear motion to angular motion, of: velocity
Definition
Given a rigid body, the angular velocity of the rigid body is the rate at which the rigid body is rotating, along with the direction of rotation. In other words, it is the differential of the angular displacement with respect to time.
The angular velocity is a 2-tensor, which can also be viewed as a vector. The vector is along the axis of rotation, its magnitude is given by the magnitude of the angular velocity, and its direction is determined by the sense of rotation (clockwise or counter-clockwise). The direction is determined by the right-hand thumb rule: a clockwise rotation corresponds to a vector pointing away from the observer and a counter-clockwise rotation corresponds to a vector pointing towards the observer.
Units and dimensions
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Scalar or vector? | Vector |
| MLT dimensions | : MLT;0;0;-1 |
| SI units | or radians per second |
