Find the angular speed

Question

Suppose the minute hand on a clock is 6 inches long.

(a) What is the minute hand’s angular speed in radians per hours?

(b) How far does the tip of the minute hand travel in 20 minutes?

Answer 1

A minute travels once around the clock per hour. Thus, its angular speed is 2 π/hr

As the minute hand is 6 minutes long, in 20 minutes, it travels 20/60 = 1/3 of the way around the clock. Therefore, it travels 6 in. * 2π * 1/3 = 4π in.