Definition

1. Noun:
   • (Physics) The rate of change of angular velocity: A measure of how quickly the rotational speed of an object changes over time. It describes how fast an object is speeding up or slowing down its rotation.

Usage

• As a subject: Angular acceleration is a key concept in rotational dynamics.
• As an object: Engineers calculate the angular acceleration to design safe rotating machinery.
• With prepositions: The angular acceleration of a wheel depends on the applied torque.

Examples

• Noun:
  • The angular acceleration of the flywheel increased as more power was applied.
  • To stop safely, the merry-go-round requires a constant negative angular acceleration.
  • The formula links torque to angular acceleration and moment of inertia.

Advanced Usage

• "Instantaneous angular acceleration": The angular acceleration at a specific moment in time, found using calculus.
  • The instantaneous angular acceleration was highest at the start of the spin.
• "Average angular acceleration": The total change in angular velocity divided by the total time taken.
  • The average angular acceleration over the 10-second period was 2 rad/s².

Variants and Related Words

• Angular velocity (n): The rate of change of angular displacement, describing how fast something is rotating.
  • The angular velocity of the Earth's rotation is relatively constant.
• Linear acceleration (n): The rate of change of linear velocity, describing change in speed along a straight line.
  • Linear acceleration is what you feel when a car speeds up.

Synonyms

• Rotational acceleration: (Physics) A synonym emphasizing the rotational nature of the motion.

Related Concepts (Not Phrasal Verbs/Idioms)

• Torque: A twisting force that causes angular acceleration.
• Moment of inertia: A measure of an object's resistance to changes in its rotation, analogous to mass in linear motion.

Noun

1. (physics) the rate of change of the angular velocity of a rotating body