Angular Frequency (OCR A Level Physics) : Revision Note

Angular Frequency

• The angular frequency of an oscillation describes how quickly an oscillator cycles through its motion

• Angular frequency is defined as:

The rate of change of angular position with respect to time

• It can be written as an equation:

• Where:

  • = angular frequency (rad s^-1)

  • = circumference of a circle

  • = time period (s)

  • = frequency of oscillation (Hz)

• The angular frequency of an object moving in simple harmonic motion is equivalent to the angular speed of an object undergoing uniform circular motion 

• For example, a mass-spring system oscillating with amplitude can be represented by a particle moving in a circle with radius

  • Along the x-axis, the displacement for both systems can be described by

  • The time taken to complete one oscillation, or revolution, is equal to period

The angular frequency of a mass-spring system is similar to a particle undergoing uniform circular motion