Quarter 1 Week 4 Trigonometry

Lesson 2: Angles and Applications

2.3. Linear and Angular Speed
Figure 1
Definition: Suppose that an object
moves around a circle of radius r at a
constant speed. If s is the distance
traveled in time t around this circle,
then the linear speed of
the object is defined as
𝒔
𝒗=
𝒕

Definition: The angular speed 𝝎 (the Greek letter omega) of this

object is the angle 𝜽 (measured in radians) swept out, divided by the
elapsed time t; that is,
𝜽
𝝎=
𝒕

Definition: The relationship between linear speed and angular

speed is defined by:
𝒗 = 𝒓𝝎
where 𝝎 is measured in radians per unit time.

Example 1: A child is spinning a rock at the end of a 2-foot rope at

the rate of 180 revolutions per minute (rpm). Find the linear speed
of the rock when it is released.

Example 2: An object is traveling around a circle with a radius of 5

centimeters. If in 20 seconds a central angle of radian is swept out,
what is the angular speed of the object? What is its linear speed?

Reference: Sullivan Algebra and Trigonometry 9th Edition p.1

Quarter 1 Week 4 Trigonometry

Lesson 2: Angles and Applications

2.3. Linear and Angular Speed

Example 3: An object is traveling around a circle with a radius of 2

meters. If in 20 seconds the object travels 5 meters, what is its
angular speed? What is its linear speed?

Example 4: The diameter of each wheel of a bicycle is 26 inches. If

you are traveling at a speed of 35 miles per hour on this bicycle,
through how many revolutions per minute are the wheels turning?

Example 5: The radius of each wheel of a car is 15 inches. If the

wheels are turning at the rate of 3 revolutions per second, how fast
is the car moving? Express your answer in inches per second and in
miles per hour.

Example 6: Earth rotates on an axis through its poles. The distance

from the axis to a location on Earth 30° north latitude is about
3429.5 miles. Therefore, a location on Earth at 30° north latitude is
spinning on a circle of radius 3429.5 miles. Compute the linear
speed on the surface of Earth at 30° north latitude.

Example 7: Two pulleys, one with radius 2 inches and the other
with radius 8 inches, are connected by a belt. (See the figure.) If the
2-inch pulley is caused to rotate at 3 revolutions per minute,
determine the revolutions per minute of the 8-inch pulley.
[Hint: The linear speeds of the
pulleys are the same; both equal
the speed of the belt.]

Reference: Sullivan Algebra and Trigonometry 9th Edition p.2

Quarter 1 Week 4 Trigonometry

Lesson 2: Angles and Applications

2.3. Linear and Angular Speed
Practice Exercise

1. A wheel is turning at the rate of 48 rpm. Express this angular

speed in (a) rev/s, (b) rad/min, and (c) rad/s.

2. Find the diameter of a pulley which is driven at 360 r/min by a

belt moving at 40 ft/s.

3. Determine the speed of the earth (in mi/s) in its course around the
sun. Assume the earth’s orbit to be a circle of radius 93,000,000 mi
and 1 year = 365 days.

4. Earth rotates on an axis through its poles. The distance from the
axis to a location on Earth 40° north latitude is about 3033.5 miles.
Therefore, a location on Earth at 40° north latitude is spinning on a
circle of radius 3033.5 miles. Compute the linear speed on the
surface of Earth at 40° north latitude.

5. A neighborhood carnival has a Ferris wheel whose radius is 30

feet. You measure the time it takes for one revolution to be 70
seconds. What is the linear speed (in feet per second) of this Ferris
wheel? What is the angular speed in radians per second?

6. To approximate the speed of the current of a river, a circular

paddle wheel with radius 4 feet is lowered into the water. If the
current causes the wheel to rotate at a speed
of 10 revolutions per minute, what is the
speed of the current? Express your answer in
miles per hour.
Reference: Sullivan Algebra and Trigonometry 9th Edition p.3
Quarter 1 Week 4 Trigonometry

Lesson 2: Angles and Applications

2.3. Linear and Angular Speed
Practice Exercise

7. A spin balancer rotates the wheel of a car at 480 revolutions per

minute. If the diameter of the wheel is 26 inches, what road speed is
being tested? Express your answer in miles per hour. At how many
revolutions per minute should the balancer be set to test a road
speed of 80 miles per hour?

8. At the Cable Car Museum you can see the four cable lines that
are used to pull cable cars up and down the hills of San Francisco.
Each cable travels at a speed of 9.55 miles per hour, caused by a
rotating wheel whose diameter is 8.5 feet. How fast is the wheel
rotating? Express your answer in revolutions per minute.

9. How fast would you have to travel on the surface of Earth at the
equator to keep up with the Sun (that is, so that the Sun would
appear to remain in the same position in the sky)?

10. The diameter of a DVD is approximately 12 centimeters. The

drive motor of the DVD player is controlled to rotate precisely
between 200 and 500 revolutions per minute, depending on what
track is being read.
(a) Find an interval for the angular speed of a DVD as it rotates.
(b) Find an interval for the linear speed of a point on the outermost
track as the DVD rotates.

Reference: Sullivan Algebra and Trigonometry 9th Edition p.4