Consider a particle moving along a circular path of constant radius .

PHYSICS · Multi-part · A Level · Physics · Engineering physics · Engineering physics

Problem

Consider a particle moving along a circular path of constant radius rr. (i) Starting from the definition of one radian, derive the relation s=rθs = r\theta connecting the arc length ss with the angular displacement θ\theta. (ii) Using dimensional analysis, show that the angular displacement θ\theta is dimensionless, i.e. its dimensional formula is M0L0T0M^{0}L^{0}T^{0}. (iii) If θ\theta is dimensionless, why is it still convenient in physics to treat the radian as a unit? Give two clear reasons to justify your answer.

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