, . IV, .

5 (2005)

Chemistry, Vol. 14, Iss. 5 (2005)

New Approaches

TEACHING THE UNIT RADIAN

AS A PHYSICAL QUANTITY
Tetsuo MORIKAWA, Brian T. NEWBOLD1)
Joetsu University of Education, Japan,
1)
Universit de Moncton, Canada

Abstract. The radian is well known as a troublesome unit in science education. The troubles in student learning originate in the ambiguity of the definition. The note shows that considering the dimension of the radian removes
the ambiguity.

Radians in Mathematics and Physical Sciences

Mathematics teachers often introduce the concept of radian measure to
students by using a circle with center O whose radius is r. Let two points on the
arc of the circle be A and B, and let s be the arc length between A and B. The
radian measure in mathematics is then defined as s/r; and one radian is equal to
s/r when s = r. For example, a plane angle AOB = 300 is calculated as

( 2 r /(360 / 30) ) / r = / 6;
then the angle AOB = 30 is said to be p/6 radians, and it is written symbolically as p/6 rad. The calculation in trigonometric functions is performed as,
for example, sin( / 6) = 1/ 2. In mathematics the symbol rad looks like just a
tag.
The mathematical definition s/r of radian is also adopted in physical sciences. In SI [1], and ISO [2], the angle of 1 radian is defined by putting s = 1 m
and r = 1 m as
0

1rad = 1m /(1m) = 1

This radian is the ratio between physical quantities (lengths) of the same
kind. Hence, the radian is called a dimensionless unit. On this occasion the
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symbol rad is linked with the number 1 by use of the equality symbol =. The
AAPT Committee [3] recommends the expression of the unit of angular speed
w (omega) as rad/s. This rad looks like a unit having dimensions such as the
unit m/s, i.e. meters per second. Some students thus ask science teachers: What
does the symbol rad mean, and may I have a clear explanation of how to use
it; is it a tag, a number, a physical symbol, or something else?
This note solves the above-mentioned problem from the point of view that
q = a u, which is explained as follows. The historical background of the radian
can be found in Whitakers paper [4].
Measurement of Physical Quantities
A Measurement of physical quantities compares one physical quantity with
another of the same kind in two physical and/or chemical systems, and gets a
numerical value as the ratio between them. There is a variety of methods of
comparison of principles of measurement for two systems. Foe example, one
compares the length of a string and the width of a desk using both hands, the
mass of a substance and that of a piece of metal on balances, and so on. Here
one of the physical quantities, selected as the standard, is called the unit. After
a measurement of a physical quantity in terms of the unit, one obtains a numerical value; i.e., a physical quantity divided by the unit is equal to a numerical value. Thus, the following is a general expression [1]:
physical quantity = numerical value unit
Such a numerical value is called a measure of the physical quantity by
Guggenheim [5]. The context of the discussion in this paragraph will be hereafter referred to as q = a u. In this mathematical form, a u represents a physical quantity; a stands for a numerical value; the symbol between a and u
indicates multiplication; and the unit u also denotes a physical quantity.
The Unit of Plane Angles as a Physical Quantity
Let us denote by q a plane angle AOB between lines OA and Ob in the
plane. This q, which has the property of expansion between the lines, is a
physical quantity, because anyone can observe it in the real world, and can
measure it as follows. A circle O whose radius r = 1 m , is overlapped on the
angle AOB . Then q is proportional to the arc length s between the points A
and B; this can be written as
= ks
where k is an unknown constant (physical quantity). Note that the dimension
of q is unknown up to the present, although q/k has the dimension of length.
Let the angle when s = 1 m be rad; i.e., rad = k 1 m . It is repeatedly said
that this rad is also a physical quantity. Side by side division leads to the
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relationship
/ rad = s /(1 m)

by canceling. This proportional equation is rewritten in radius-independent form as

/ rad = s / r

because s is proportional to r for a given plane angle. One then has

= ( s / r ) rad

In order words, s/r appearing in both mathematics and physical sciences

just corresponds to a numerical value from the point of view of q = a u; s/r is
not a physical quantity. For example, a plane angle, q30 for AOB = 300 is expressed as
30 = {(2 r /12) / r}rad = / 6 rad

Such an expression agrees with that found in physical sciences; however,

this rad is not a tag and not the number 1 (dimensionless unit), but a physical
quantity. In mathematics, s/r is identified with the plane angle q (a physical
quantity), and is often written as = s / r; this equality has no physical meaning
because in physical sciences, s/r is a numerical value of the physical quantity q
measured by the unit.
The above mentioned symbol rad denotes a physical unit. Let rev be
another physical unit, defined as rev = 2 rad , in revolution measure. Measuring q30 in terms of rev leads to
30 / rev = ( / 6) /(2 ) = 1/12; i.e., 30 = (1/12) / rev

Compare this expression and 30 = ( / 6) rad . Analytical functions such as

sin, cos, tan, and log, for real number x are defined in the infinite power series
expansion; for example,
sin x = x x3 / 3!+ x5 / 5! x7 / 7!+ ...

All the dimensions term by term in the right-hand side are different from
one another, so that sin(q) clearly has no physical meaning. It should be remembered that q and the unit rad are both physical quantities of the same
kind. One must use the numerical value q/rad as sin(q/rad). The angle 300, for
example, is now calculated in the physical sense as
sin( 30 / rad ) = sin( / 6) = 1/ 2

Science teachers notice students writing

sin( 30 / rev) = sin(1/12) = 1/ 2

In physical representation, the three sine functions, sin(p/6) in radian measure, sin(1/12) in revolution measure, and sin(300) in degrees, are equivalent.
Using every numerical value apart from the unit is the source of the students
confusion. Calculations in mechanics should be done only with the units.
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In a conventional notation, one often uses sin( ) for a small quantity q.

This approximate expression is ambiguous, because the left-hand side has no
physical meaning as mentioned above, and because the right-hand side is a physical quantity. The exact expression is given in terms of the numerical value as
sin( / rad ) / rad

Dimensions of Plane Angles

Students encounter questions like: What is the dimension of rad and can it
be decomposed into the seven base-dimensions, such as length, mass, time,
etc., of SI? The plane angle is a name of dimension when it implies a set of
angles (physical quantities) including q, q30, rad, rev, and so on [5]. Hence, as has
been explained, any plane angle q is measurable in terms of the unit rad, and
can be expressed as
= ( s / r ) rad

It should be noted that no answer is obtainable from either = k s or

/ rad = s / r , because k in the former includes unknown dimensions, and both
sides the latter are numerical values. Hence, one may say that the plane angle is
a dimension that is not expressed by means of the base-dimensions of SI. It is
not surprising that there are dimensions that are not expressed by SI in local
surroundings. One may call the plane angle a supplementary dimension.
It can be derived from = ( s / r ) rad and = s /(2 r ) rev for constant r
that
d / rad = ds / r , and d / rev = ds /(2 r )
This suggests that the coherence in SI is conserved in radian measure.
Clearly the unit of = d / dt is rad/sec. The physical unit strad for the solid
angle in SI may be similarly treated.
Conclusion
It is possible to define the unit rad as a physical quantity. By use of the
above-mentioned notation we can state a new definition of radian as: any plane
angle q (i.e., AOB) for the arc length s(=AB) and the radius r(=OA) on any
circle O is measured in terms of rad, and is expressed as
/ rad = s / r or = ( s / r )rad
Here q is equal to 1 rad when s = r. The unit rad as a physical quantity
belongs to the dimension of plane angle.
REFERENCES
1. Mills, I., T. Cvita, K. Homan, N. Kallay. K. Kuchitsu. Quantities,
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Units and Symbols in Physical Chemistry. IUPAC, Blackwell, London, 1993.

2. ISO 31-0: Quantities and Units. The International Organization for Standardization. Geneva, 1992.
3. The AART Metric Education and SI Practices Committee (G.J. Aubrecht,
II.A.P. French, M. Iona, D.W. Welch). Phys. Teach. 31, 84 (1993).
4. Whitaker, R.J. Whence the Radian. Phys. Teach. 32, 444 (1994).
5. Guggenheim, E.A. Units and Dimensions. Phil. Mag. 33, 479 (1942).

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* Professor Tetsuo Morikawa,
Department of Chemistry,
Joetsu University of Education,
Joetsu 943-8512, JAPAN;
Professor Brian T. Newbold,
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry,
University of Moncton,
Moncton, N.B., E1A 3E9, CANADA

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