rotation

Motion around an axis.

Rotation rate in
rotations per
millisecond		 Object
   
8.3 Bit of experimental micro-milling machine, early 21st century.
5 Typical air-driven dentist's drill, late 20th century.
1.122 XTE J1739-285, a neutron star.

European Space Agency. "Integral points to the fastest spinning neutron star" (press release). 16 February 2007. www.esa.int/esaSC/SEMPADBE8YE_index_0.html 

   

1 rotation per second = 60 rotations per minute

Rotation rate in
rotations per
second		 Object
833 Prototype flywheel energy storage device built at the Univ. of Texas at Austin.

Science News, vol. 171, page 313 (19 May 2007).
458 Bit in Porter-Cable portable routers, maximum speed, 2007.
435 XTE J1751-305, a type of star called an accreting millisecond pulsar, which consists of a neutron star acquiring gas from a less massive companion star.

IAU Circular 7870, 8 April 2002.
416 Hand grinder with DC motor, such as Dremel.
267 Shaft of stationary steam turbine, typical top speed.
250 Platters of the fastest commercially-available hard disk drives, 2002.
133 Crankshaft of internal combustion gasoline engine of a Lamborghini Murciélago LP640 at maximum power (640 horsepower, 471 kW).
132.5 Maximum turbine rotation rate of the General Electric J47 turbojet engine, produced 1948 to 1956, in use until 1978.
74 Blade of typical 7¼-inch portable circular saw. Some as high as 97 r/s, however.
60 Shaft of synchronous electric motor running on 60-Hz electric current.
50 Electric dental drill, early 20th century.
50 Crankshaft of 1949 Volkswagen Beetle engine at maximum power (25 hp, 18.5 kW).
17 Flagella of certain bacteria, top speed (low speed, around 3.5 r/s). This is the only truly rotary action in living things. The rotor mechanism itself is capable of as much as 280 r/s, but not with the flagella attached.   
5 Good ice skater doing a scratch spin.
1.3 Shellac record, 20th century. (78 RPM)

1 kilosecond = 16 minutes 40 seconds.

Rotation rate in
rotations per 
kilosecond		 Object
555.6 Vinyl long-playing record.
255 Blades of the 3.6 MW General Electric wind turbine, top speed. Blades are 140 meters long. 
   
   
   

1 megasecond = about 11.57 days

Rotation rate in
rotations per 
megasecond		 Object
95 Average rotation rate of the Pacific Subarctic Gyre (counterclockwise), a surface current in the Northern Pacific Ocean.

Curtis C. Ebbesmeyer, W. James Ingraham, Thomas C. Royer and Chester E. Grosch.
Tub toys orbit the Pacific Subarctic Gyre.
Eos, Transactions of the American Geophysical Union, vol. 88, no. 1, pages 1-4 (2 Jan 2007)
28.23 The planet Jupiter.
26.92 The planet Saturn.
16.53 The planet Neptune.
16.07 The planet Uranus.
11.24 The planet Mars.
   
   
   

1 gigasecond = about 31.69 years

Rotation rate in
rotations per 
gigasecond		 Object
423.65 Moon of Earth.
197.34 The planet Mercury.
   
   
47.63 The planet Venus.

1 terasecond = about 31,688 years

Rotation rate in
rotations per 
terasecond		 Object
   
   
   
   
   

1 petasecond = about 32 million years

Rotation rate in
rotations per 
petasecond		 Object
   
   
   
   
   

1 exasecond = about 32,000,000,000 years 

Rotation rate in
rotations per 
exasecond		 Object
   
   
158 Milky Way galaxy, at the distance Earth is from the center. The galaxy does not rotate as a solid wheel would.
   
   

1 zettasecond = about 32,000,000,000,000 years

Rotation rate in
rotations per 
zettasecond		 Object
   
   
   
   
   

1 yottasecond = about 32,000,000,000,000 years

Rotation rate in
rotations per 
yottasecond		 Object
   
   
   
   
   

 

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Last revised: 23 July 2002.