angular velocity

American  

noun

Physics.

1. the time rate of change of angular position of a rotating body, usually expressed in radians per second or radians per minute.

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angular velocity British  

noun

1.  ω.  the velocity of a body rotating about a specified axis measured as the rate of change of the angle subtended at that axis by the path of the body

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angular velocity Scientific  

1. The rate of change of an angle associated with an object with respect to some reference point. For example, the average angular velocity of an object moving around a central reference point once every second is 2π radians per second; the Earth spins around its axis with an angular velocity of 2π radians per day.

2. Also called angular frequency

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Etymology

Origin of angular velocity

First recorded in 1810–20

Example Sentences

Gyroscopes are devices used to detect and measure changes in orientation or angular velocity -- the rate at which an object rotates.

From Science Daily • May 21, 2024

By measuring the light interference, the angular velocity can be detected with high resolution.

From Science Daily • May 21, 2024

The large angular velocity of the centrifuge quickens the sedimentation.

From Textbooks • Aug. 12, 2015

The greater the rotation angle in a given amount of time, the greater the angular velocity.

From Textbooks • Aug. 12, 2015

Any motion of a rigid body can be reduced to a screw motion about a certain line, i.e. to an angular velocity ω about that line combined with a linear velocity u along the line.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 11, Slice 6 "Geodesy" to "Geometry" by Various