Angular Acceleration

Summary

Angular acceleration describes the acceleration of rotating objects.

Key Equations:

Angular acceleration:
$α = \frac{d ω}{d t}$

Tangential angular acceleration:
$α_{t} = r α$

Read Time

⏱ 1 min

Definition

Angular acceleration describes the rotational acceleration an object has. It is a vector quantity. Mathematically, it is the derivative of angular velocity.

α = \frac{d ω}{d t}

Tangential component

Since angular acceleration is acceleration on a curve, it can have an tangential component to its direction. Given as the angular acceleration a distance away.

$α_{t} = r α$

🧠 Enjoy this walkthrough? Support Math & Matter with a star and help others learn more easily.