How does angular acceleration relate to linear acceleration?

1 Answer
Trevor Ryan.
Sep 2, 2015

a=r (alpha)

Explanation:

For an object of mass m moving in a circular path of radius r with constant increasing angular velocity w, it has a constant angular acceleration (alpha) = rate of change in w.
Its linear acceleration a is its rate of change in linear velocity v, were v is the velocity vector tangent to the circle at the point where the mass is.
The relation between the two is that linear acceleration equals radius of path multiplied by angular acceleration.

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