Physics 117

Lecture 24

Coriolis Force

Coriolis Force

FCoriolis = -2 m·(x vr)

The Coriolis force is a force which acts upon any moving body in an independently rotating system. The most well known

application of the Coriolis force is for the movement or flow of air across the Earth. The effect is named after the French physicist

Gaspard de Coriolis (1792-1843), who first analyzed the phenomenon mathematically.

Coriolis Force in action

You will find here a series of movies, showing the trajectory of a point mass or particle moving on a disk, as seen from a fixed, inertial frame of reference (left panel), and as seen from a frame of reference rotating counter-clockwise (right panel). In addition, an elevation plot in the fixed frame of reference is shown in the bottom panel.

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Friction No Friction

Coriolis force on Earth

Take a tour...

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Cyclones

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Nord Emisphere

Counterclockwise

Cyclones on Planet scales

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The Earth would fit in Jupiter’s great red spot!