1. What is Coriolis Force?

The Coriolis force is an inertial or fictitious force that acts on objects moving within a rotating frame of reference. It is responsible for the 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 force formula:

Where:

• \( F_c \) — Coriolis force (N)
• \( m \) — Mass of the object (kg)
• \( \Omega \) — Angular velocity of the rotating frame (rad/s)
• \( v \) — Linear velocity of the object (m/s)

Explanation: The negative sign indicates the force acts perpendicular to both the velocity vector and the axis of rotation. The cross product (×) shows it's a vector quantity.

3. Importance of Coriolis Force

Details: The Coriolis force is crucial in meteorology for understanding weather patterns, in oceanography for ocean currents, and in ballistics for long-range projectile motion. At the equator, typical values are around 10 N for certain moving objects.

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: Enter mass in kilograms, angular velocity in radians per second, and linear velocity in meters per second. All values must be positive numbers greater than zero.

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: Why is Coriolis force called a "fictitious force"?
A: It appears only in rotating reference frames and disappears in inertial frames, making it an apparent rather than fundamental force.

Q2: How does Coriolis force affect weather patterns?
A: It causes air masses to deflect, creating cyclonic rotation patterns - counterclockwise in the Northern Hemisphere and clockwise in the Southern Hemisphere.

Q3: Does Coriolis force 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 significance of the negative sign in the formula?
A: The negative sign indicates the force direction is opposite to what would be expected from a simple cross product, following the right-hand rule convention.

Q5: How does Coriolis force vary with latitude?
A: The effect is maximum at the poles and zero at the equator, as the component of Earth's rotation perpendicular to the surface varies with latitude.