What does RPM stand for?

What does RPM stand for?

• A. Returns Per Minute
• B. Relative Pressure Meter
• C. Revolutions Per Minute
• D. Rotations Per Minute

Answer: (C)

RPM measures how fast something rotates. It tells you how many complete turns a shaft or wheel makes in one minute. The standard expansion of the acronym is revolutions per minute, which is why this is the correct choice. In practice, you’ll see rpm on motors, fans, and pumps to indicate speed, and you can convert to angular velocity with ω = rpm × 2π/60 (so 60 rpm equals 2π radians per second). While “rotations per minute” communicates the same idea and is sometimes heard, the conventional meaning behind RPM is revolutions per minute.

RPM measures how fast something rotates. It tells you how many complete turns a shaft or wheel makes in one minute. The standard expansion of the acronym is revolutions per minute, which is why this is the correct choice. In practice, you’ll see rpm on motors, fans, and pumps to indicate speed, and you can convert to angular velocity with ω = rpm × 2π/60 (so 60 rpm equals 2π radians per second). While “rotations per minute” communicates the same idea and is sometimes heard, the conventional meaning behind RPM is revolutions per minute.