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Angular Acceleration Converter

Science

Convert angular acceleration between radians per second squared, degrees per second squared, and revolutions per second/minute squared instantly.

Reviewed by the thecalcu.com team · Last updated July 27, 2026

From
To
All conversionsfor 1 RPM per Second (RPM/s)
Radians per Second² (rad/s²)0.10471975
Degrees per Second² (°/s²)5.9999998
Revolutions per Second² (rev/s²)0.016666667
RPM per Second (RPM/s)1
Revolutions per Minute² (rev/min²)60.000009

What is a Angular Acceleration?

The Angular Acceleration Converter converts rotational acceleration between radians per second squared, degrees per second squared, and several revolutions-based units (per second squared, per minute, and RPM per second). Angular acceleration measures how quickly a rotating object's spin rate is changing, the rotational counterpart to linear acceleration, and a key quantity in torque and rotational dynamics calculations.

Enter a value in any supported unit and the converter calculates the equivalent instantly. For the related quantities in a rotational dynamics calculation, see the Angular Velocity Converter and Moment of Inertia Converter.

Why Use an Angular Acceleration Converter?

Motor and drive specifications often describe spin-up performance in RPM per second, while a torque calculation using τ = Iα requires angular acceleration in rad/s², converting between them by hand introduces the same 2π ÷ 60 factor used for angular velocity, applied twice (once for each RPM-to-rad/s conversion implicit in the rate). This converter handles that instantly.

Who Should Use This Converter?

  • Robotics and motor control engineers calculating required torque from a target spin-up rate.
  • Mechanical engineering students working through rotational dynamics problems that mix angular acceleration units.
  • Automotive engineers analysing engine or wheel angular acceleration during acceleration events.
  • Aerospace engineers working on spacecraft or turbine attitude and spin-rate control.

What Insights Does the Angular Acceleration Converter Give You?

The main output is the converted value in your chosen target unit, calculated precisely from the fixed multiplier relationship between units. Since angular acceleration values can look very different in magnitude depending on the unit (a modest rad/s² value looks tiny in rev/min² terms), the converter helps you sanity-check whether a value is realistic for your specific application.

How to use this Angular Acceleration calculator

  1. Choose your starting unit from the source dropdown, for example, "RPM per Second (RPM/s)".
  2. Enter the numeric value you want to convert in the input field.
  3. Choose your target unit from the destination dropdown, for example, "Radians per Second² (rad/s²)".
  4. Read the converted result, which updates instantly as you type or change units.
  5. Use the swap (⇅) button if you need to reverse the conversion direction.
  6. Use the copy button to grab the result for a torque calculation or engineering report.
Show formula & methodology ↓Show less ↑

Formula & Methodology

The converter's base unit is radians per second squared (rad/s²). Every supported unit has a fixed multiplier to rad/s²:

- 1 degree per second² (°/s²) = 0.017453 rad/s²
- 1 revolution per second² (rev/s²) = 6.283185 rad/s²
- 1 RPM per second (RPM/s) = 0.104720 rad/s²
- 1 revolution per minute² (rev/min²) = 0.001745 rad/s²

Any conversion follows:

Result = Input × (toBase of source unit ÷ toBase of target unit)

Worked example, converting 50 RPM/s (a motor spinning up) to radians per second squared:

Result = 50 × 0.104720 = 5.24 rad/s²

This is the value you'd use directly in a torque calculation (τ = Iα) alongside the system's moment of inertia.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is angular acceleration?
Angular acceleration measures how quickly the angular velocity (rotational speed) of an object is changing, expressed in units like radians per second squared. It's the rotational equivalent of linear acceleration, just as linear acceleration measures how quickly speed changes, angular acceleration measures how quickly spin rate changes.
How do I convert RPM per second to rad/s²?
Multiply the RPM/s value by 0.10472 (2π ÷ 60), the same factor used to convert RPM to rad/s, since angular acceleration is just the rate of change of angular velocity. Enter your value with 'RPM per Second (RPM/s)' as the source and 'Radians per Second² (rad/s²)' as the target to apply this automatically.
Why is rad/s² the standard unit in physics formulas?
Radians are the natural angular unit in calculus-based physics because they relate directly to arc length and radius without a conversion constant, so torque, angular momentum, and rotational kinetic energy formulas all use rad/s² for angular acceleration without needing extra scaling factors.
What's a typical angular acceleration value for a spinning motor?
This varies enormously by application, a small motor might accelerate from rest to full RPM in a fraction of a second (high angular acceleration), while a large industrial flywheel might take many seconds to reach full speed (low angular acceleration). There's no single 'typical' value; it depends entirely on the motor's torque and the rotating system's moment of inertia.
How does angular acceleration relate to torque?
Torque equals moment of inertia multiplied by angular acceleration (τ = Iα), the rotational equivalent of Newton's second law (F = ma), so once you know a system's moment of inertia and desired angular acceleration, you can calculate the torque required. See the [Moment of Inertia Converter](/moment-of-inertia-converter/) for the other quantity in this formula.
What is the difference between RPM/s and rev/min²?
RPM/s (RPM per second) measures how many RPM the rotational speed gains every second, while rev/min² measures the same underlying rate but expressed with minutes as both the speed unit and the time unit, rev/min² is a much smaller-looking number for the same physical rate of change, since minutes are a coarser time unit than seconds.
Can I use this converter for angular deceleration as well as acceleration?
Yes, the conversion factors work the same regardless of whether the angular velocity is increasing or decreasing; just treat a deceleration as a negative angular acceleration value if your calculation requires signed values.
How does angular acceleration relate to linear acceleration at a point on a rotating object?
Tangential linear acceleration at a point equals angular acceleration (in rad/s²) multiplied by the radius from the axis of rotation, this is why a point farther from the centre of a spinning disc experiences greater linear acceleration for the same angular acceleration. See the [Acceleration Converter](/acceleration-converter/) for linear acceleration unit conversions.
Why is degrees per second squared less common in engineering than rad/s²?
Degrees are an intuitive everyday angular unit, but they don't integrate cleanly into calculus-based physics formulas the way radians do, so degrees per second squared is mainly used for display purposes or intuitive communication rather than in actual engineering calculations.
What fields commonly use angular acceleration calculations?
Robotics and motor control (calculating torque needed for a desired spin-up rate), automotive engineering (engine and wheel dynamics), aerospace (spacecraft attitude control), and mechanical engineering coursework on rotational dynamics all routinely involve angular acceleration calculations.
Also known as
rpm per second to rad/s2angular acceleration converterrad/s2 to deg/s2rotational acceleration converterrevolutions per second squared converter