1. What is Coriolis Acceleration?

Coriolis acceleration is an apparent acceleration that acts on objects moving within a rotating reference frame. It is perpendicular to the velocity of the object and to the rotation axis, causing deflection of moving objects to the right in the Northern Hemisphere and to the left in the Southern Hemisphere.

2. How Does the Calculator Work?

The calculator uses the Coriolis acceleration formula:

Where:

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

Explanation: The formula calculates the apparent acceleration experienced by objects moving in rotating reference systems like Earth. The sine function accounts for the variation with latitude, being maximum at the poles and zero at the equator.

3. Importance of Coriolis Acceleration

Details: Coriolis acceleration is crucial in meteorology for understanding wind patterns and storm rotation, in oceanography for current systems, in ballistics for long-range 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°, negative for Southern Hemisphere). All values must be valid and within specified ranges.

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: Why is Coriolis acceleration important on Earth?
A: It affects large-scale phenomena like weather patterns, ocean currents, and the trajectory of long-range missiles and aircraft.

Q2: Does Coriolis effect influence water draining direction?
A: For small-scale systems like sinks and toilets, Coriolis effect is negligible compared to other factors like basin shape and initial water motion.

Q3: What is Earth's angular velocity for calculations?
A: Earth's angular velocity is approximately 7.292 × 10⁻⁵ rad/s (360° per 24 hours).

Q4: How does Coriolis acceleration vary with latitude?
A: It is maximum at the poles (φ = ±90°) and zero at the equator (φ = 0°), varying with the sine of latitude.

Q5: In which direction does Coriolis acceleration act?
A: It acts perpendicular to both the velocity vector and the rotation axis, following the right-hand rule for vector cross products.