[Physics] What are the dimensions of angular velocity

angular velocitydimensional analysishomework-and-exercisesunits

My friend said that angular velocity has dimensions of $T^{-1}$. Or equivalently, it's measured in $\text{rad}/\text{s}$, and $\text{rad}$ is dimensionless, leaving only the $1/\text{s}$.

But I think that angular velocity should have the same units $L \, T^{-1}$ as translational velocity, because both of them are velocities. Shouldn't the angular velocity be the distance traveled along the circumference per unit time? How could the dimensions differ?

Best Answer

It is $T^{-1}$. Consider a rod of length $l$, marked at $l/4$, $l/2$ and $3l/4$, and let it rotate with angular velocity $\omega$ about the centre ($l/2$) point. Now quite clearly the end points are moving twice as fast -- they cover twice the distance per unit time -- as the points marked $l/4$ and $3l/4$, so the dimensions can not be $L/T$, as the whole rod has the same angular velocity. In fact the dimensions are $\mathrm{angle}/T$, but angle, being the ratio of two lengths (diameter and circumference), is dimensionless, giving dimensions of $T^{-1}$.

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