Tutorial details

The tutorial helps students in distinguishing between angular and linear kinematical quantities. A focus is on the vector relationship between angular velocity and acceleration and on finding net torque. In the first section, students compare the motion of various points on a rotating wheel and recognize that a single number cannot characterize the linear speed of all points. They are led to recognize that during each time interval the change in the angle of the position vector for each point on the wheel is the same. The quantity is given the name “angular speed,” and the concept of angular velocity is introduced. Subsequent exercises help students relate the angular velocity to the speed of any point on the wheel.

In part II, the the idea of angular acceleration is introduced. The relationship between the direction of the angular velocity and the direction of the change in the angular velocity is emphasized. In part III, students are led to recognize how the application point, magnitude, and direction of a force affect the angular acceleration of the object on which the force is exerted.

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None. Both the pretest and tutorial are written so that the concepts of angular velocity, angular acceleration, and torque need not have been introduced previously in class.

Equipment

List

• white board or large sheet of paper with markers

Discussion