Enter the total angular velocity and radius of rotation into the calculator to determine the linear tangent speed of an object in rotation.

## Linear Speed Formula

The following formula is used to convert an angular velocity into linear speed.

v = r * w

• Where v is the linear velocity
• w is the angular velocity (rad/s)

## Linear Speed Definition

Linear speed is most often defined as the tangential velocity of a rotating object.

## Linear Speed Example

Let’s look at an example problem.

1. First, we need to measure the radius of rotation. For this example, we will say the radius is 50m.
2. Next, we must determine the angular velocity. For this example, we will assume this value is 100 rad/s.
3. Finally, we calculate the linear speed using the formula above. This results in a value of 5,000 m/s.

It’s important to note that in the formula above, the linear speed with have units of the radius per second. So if the radius is in ft, the speed will be ft/s.

## FAQ

What is linear speed?

Linear speed it often referred to as the instantaneous tangential velocity of a rotating object.