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Rotational Position & Displacement definitions

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  • Rotational Motion
    Movement around a central point, forming a circular path, described using angular position.
  • Angular Position
    Location in a circle, represented by a single angle, typically using the variable theta.
  • Angular Displacement
    Change in angular position, measured in radians or degrees, denoted as delta theta.
  • Radians
    A unit of angular measure where one radian is approximately 57 degrees.
  • Degrees
    A unit of angular measure where a full circle is 360 degrees.
  • Revolution
    A complete rotation around a circle, equivalent to 360 degrees or 2π radians.
  • Radial Distance
    Distance from the center of a circle to a point on its circumference.
  • Unit Circle
    A circle with a radius of one, used to define trigonometric functions.
  • Arc Length
    Linear distance along a circular path, calculated as r times theta.
  • Circumference
    The total linear distance around a circle, calculated as 2π times the radius.
  • Linear Displacement
    Change in linear position, linked to angular displacement by the equation delta x = r delta theta.
  • Clockwise
    Direction of rotation that follows the movement of a clock's hands, considered negative in angular terms.
  • Counterclockwise
    Direction of rotation opposite to a clock's hands, considered positive in angular terms.
  • Origin
    Fixed starting point in rotational motion, where theta equals zero, typically on the positive x-axis.
  • Theta
    Symbol used to represent angular position or displacement in rotational motion.