What is Angular velocity?
[[Image:Angularvelocity.png|thumb|250px|Angular velocity describes the speed of [[rotation]] and the orientation of the axis about which the rotation takes place. The direction of the angular velocity vector will be along the axis of rotation; in this case (counter-clockwise rotation) the vector points toward the viewer.]] In [[physics]], the '''angular velocity''' specifies the [[Angular frequency |angular speed]] at which an object is [[rotation |rotating]] along with the direction in which it is rotating. It is a [[vector]] quantity.<ref>more precisely, a [[pseudovector]]</ref> The [[SI]] unit of angular velocity is [[radians per second]]. But it may be measured in other units as well (such as [[degree (angle)|degree]]s per second, degrees per hour, etc.). When it is measured in cycles or rotations per unit time (e.g. [[revolutions per minute]]), it is often called the rotational velocity and its [[Magnitude (mathematics)|magnitude]] the [[rotational speed]]. Angular velocity is usually represented by the symbol [[omega (letter)|omega]] ('''Ω''' or '''ω'''). The direction of the angular velocity vector is perpendicular to the [[Plane (mathematics)|plane]] of rotation, in a direction which is usually specified by the [[Right-hand rule|right hand rule]]. ==Related pages== {{enWiktionary}} * [[Angular momentum]] * [[Angular frequency]] == References == <references /> * {{cite book|last=Symon | first=Keith |title=Mechanics|publisher=Addison-Wesley, Reading, MA|year=1971|isbn=0-201-07392-7 }} * {{cite book |last=Landau |first=L.D. |author-link=Lev Landau |author2=Lifshitz, E.M. |title= Mechanics|year=1997 |publisher=Butterworth-Heinemann |isbn=0-750-62896-0 }} [[Category:Physical quantity]] [[Category:Mechanics]] [[Category:Basic physics ideas]]