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 refers to the direction that’s perpendicular to the radius of the circular path, like the direction you’d move if you were walking along the edge of a circle.
Velocity here includes both speed and direction, though in many cases, people use it interchangeably with "speed" when talking about circular motion (since the direction is always changing along the curve).
Tangential Velocity formula |
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| \( v_t \;=\; \omega \cdot r \) | ||
| 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 formula |
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| \( v_t \;=\; \dfrac{ 2 \cdot \pi \cdot r }{ t }\) | ||
| 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 | \(sec\) | \(s\) |
