1. What is the Coriolis Effect?

The Coriolis effect is an apparent deflection of moving objects when viewed in a rotating reference frame. On Earth, it causes moving objects like air masses, ocean currents, and projectiles to be deflected 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)
• \( \Omega \) — Earth's angular velocity (7.29×10⁻⁵ rad/s)
• \( v \) — Velocity of the moving object (m/s)
• \( \phi \) — Geographic latitude (degrees)

Explanation: The formula calculates the acceleration experienced by objects moving relative to Earth's rotating frame. The effect is maximum at the poles and zero at the equator.

3. Importance of Coriolis Acceleration

Details: Coriolis acceleration is crucial in meteorology for understanding weather patterns, in oceanography for ocean currents, in ballistics for long-range projectile trajectories, and in aviation for flight path calculations.

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: Enter velocity in meters per second and latitude in degrees (-90° to +90°, negative for Southern Hemisphere). All values must be valid (velocity > 0, latitude between -90 and 90).

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: Why is the Coriolis effect zero at the equator?
A: At the equator, the sine of latitude (sinφ) is zero, making the Coriolis acceleration zero regardless of velocity.

Q2: How does Coriolis effect affect weather systems?
A: It causes cyclones to rotate counterclockwise in the Northern Hemisphere and clockwise in the Southern Hemisphere, influencing global weather patterns.

Q3: Does Coriolis effect affect water draining in sinks?
A: For small-scale systems like sinks, the effect is negligible compared to other factors like basin shape and initial water motion.

Q4: What is the Earth's angular velocity used in calculations?
A: Earth rotates at approximately 7.29×10⁻⁵ radians per second, which is 15 degrees per hour or one full rotation every 24 hours.

Q5: How significant is Coriolis effect for everyday objects?
A: For most everyday objects and short distances, the effect is too small to notice. It becomes significant for long-distance travel, large-scale fluid dynamics, and high-velocity projectiles.