Tangential Velocity
Tangential Velocity formula |
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\( v_t \;=\; \omega \cdot r \) (Tangential Velocity) \( \omega \;=\; \dfrac{ v_t }{ r }\) \( r \;=\; \dfrac{ v_t }{ \omega }\) |
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Symbol | English | Metric |
\( v_t \) = tangential velocity | \(ft \;/\; sec\) | \(m \;/\; s\) |
\( \omega \) (Greek symbol omega) = angular velocity | \(deg \;/\; sec\) | \(rad \;/\; s\) |
\( r \) = radius | \(ft\) | \(m\) |
Tangential velocity, abbreviated as \(v_t\), is a concept in physics that describes the speed of an object moving along a circular path, specifically in the direction tangent to the circle at any given point. It’s a measure of how fast the object is traveling along the circumference of the circle, rather than toward or away from the center (which would be radial velocity). It's a key concept in understanding rotational motion, like how planets orbit stars, or how a spinning top moves and it ties into things like centripetal force, which keeps the object on its circular path.
Tangential Velocity formula |
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\( v_t \;=\; \dfrac{ 2 \cdot \pi \cdot r }{ t }\) (Tangential Velocity) \( r \;=\; \dfrac{ v_t \cdot t }{ 2 \cdot \pi }\) \( t \;=\; \dfrac{ 2 \cdot \pi \cdot r }{ v_t }\) |
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Symbol | English | Metric |
\( v_t \) = tangential velocity | \(ft \;/\; sec\) | \(m \;/\; s\) |
\( \pi \) = Pi | \(3.141 592 653 ...\) | \(3.141 592 653 ...\) |
\( r \) = radius | \(ft\) | \(m\) |
\( t \) = time | \(sec\) | \(s\) |