1. What is Coriolis Acceleration?

Coriolis acceleration is an apparent force that acts on objects moving within a rotating frame of reference. It arises from the vector cross product in rotating coordinate systems and is perpendicular to both the angular velocity vector and the velocity vector of the moving object.

2. How Does the Calculator Work?

The calculator uses the Coriolis acceleration formula:

Where:

• \( a_c \) — Coriolis acceleration (m/s²)
• \( \omega \) — Angular velocity (rad/s)
• \( v \) — Velocity of the moving object (m/s)
• \( \phi \) — Latitude angle (°)

Explanation: The formula derives from the vector cross product \( \vec{a_c} = 2\vec{\omega} \times \vec{v} \) in rotating reference frames, with the sine term accounting for the latitude-dependent component.

3. Importance of Coriolis Acceleration

Details: Coriolis acceleration is crucial in meteorology for understanding atmospheric circulation patterns, in oceanography for ocean currents, in ballistics for projectile trajectories, and in various engineering applications involving rotating machinery.

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: Enter angular velocity in radians per second, velocity in meters per second, and latitude in degrees (-90° to 90°). All values must be valid and within reasonable physical ranges.

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: Why does Coriolis acceleration depend on latitude?
A: The sine of latitude term accounts for the component of Earth's rotation vector perpendicular to the local horizontal plane, which varies with latitude.

Q2: What is the direction of Coriolis acceleration?
A: In the Northern Hemisphere, it deflects moving objects to the right of their direction of motion; in the Southern Hemisphere, to the left.

Q3: When is Coriolis acceleration significant?
A: It becomes important for large-scale motions (weather systems, ocean currents) and high-velocity objects over long distances.

Q4: How does this relate to Earth's rotation?
A: For Earth applications, ω is approximately 7.292×10⁻⁵ rad/s, representing Earth's angular velocity.

Q5: Are there limitations to this formula?
A: This is the simplified scalar form. For precise calculations involving direction, the full vector cross product should be used.