Skip to content
Myclass24

How do you convert angular velocity to linear velocity?

GeneralClass 12AllAnswered 27 Mar 2026
Answer

Use the formula:

v = rω

where v is linear velocity, r is the radius from the rotation axis, and ω (omega) is angular velocity in radians per second.

Key conversions:

  • If angular velocity is in RPM: ω (rad/s) = RPM × 2π / 60
  • If angular velocity is in degrees/s: ω (rad/s) = degrees/s × π / 180
  • Points farther from the axis move faster linearly

Example: A wheel with 0.5 m radius rotating at 10 rad/s has linear velocity at the edge = 0.5 × 10 = 5 m/s.

Suggested Q&A

General · Class 12