7.2b Coriolis

Reading
7.2a: Introduction to the Coriolis Force

(Excerpt from Wikipedia)

In physics, the Coriolis force is an inertial force that acts on objects that are in motion relative
to a rotating reference frame. In a reference frame with clockwise rotation, the force acts to
the left of the motion of the object. In one with anticlockwise rotation, the force acts to the
right. Deflection of an object due to the Coriolis force is called the Coriolis effect. Though
recognized previously by others, the mathematical expression for the Coriolis force appeared in
an 1835 paper by French scientist Gaspard-Gustave de Coriolis, in connection with the theory of
water wheels. Early in the 20th century, the term Coriolis force began to be used in connection
with meteorology.

Newton's laws of motion describe the motion of an object in an inertial (non-accelerating)
frame of reference. When Newton's laws are transformed to a rotating frame of reference, the
Coriolis force and centrifugal force appear. Both forces are proportional to the mass of the
object. The Coriolis force is proportional to the rotation rate and the centrifugal force is
proportional to its square. The Coriolis force acts in a direction perpendicular to the rotation
axis and to the velocity of the body in the rotating frame and is proportional to the object's
speed in the rotating frame (more precisely, to the component of its velocity that is
perpendicular to the axis of rotation). The centrifugal force acts outwards in the radial direction
and is proportional to the distance of the body from the axis of the rotating frame. These
additional forces are termed inertial forces, fictitious forces or pseudo forces. They allow the
application of Newton's laws to a rotating system. They are correction factors that do not exist
in a non-accelerating or inertial reference frame.

In popular (non-technical) usage of the term "Coriolis effect", the rotating reference frame
implied is almost always the Earth. Because the Earth spins, Earth-bound observers need to
account for the Coriolis force to correctly analyze the motion of objects. The Earth completes
one rotation per day, so for motions of everyday objects the Coriolis force is usually quite small
compared to other forces; its effects generally become noticeable only for motions occurring
over large distances and long periods of time, such as large-scale movement of air in the
atmosphere or water in the ocean. Such motions are constrained by the surface of the Earth, so
only the horizontal component of the Coriolis force is generally important. This force causes
moving objects on the surface of the Earth to be deflected to the right (with respect to the
direction of travel) in the Northern Hemisphere and to the left in the Southern Hemisphere. The
horizontal deflection effect is greater near the poles, since the effective rotation rate about a
local vertical axis is largest there, and decreases to zero at the equator. Rather than flowing
directly from areas of high pressure to low pressure, as they would in a non-rotating system,
winds and currents tend to flow to the right of this direction north of the equator and to the
left of this direction south of it. This effect is responsible for the rotation of large cyclones (see
Coriolis effects in meteorology).

For an intuitive explanation of the origin of the Coriolis force, consider an object moving
northward in the northern hemisphere. Viewed from outer space, the object does not appear
to go due north, but has an eastward motion (it rotates around toward the right along with the
surface of the Earth). The further north you go, the smaller the "horizontal diameter" of the
Earth, and so the slower the eastward motion of its surface. As the object moves north, to
higher latitudes, it has a tendency to maintain the eastward speed it started with (rather than
slowing down to match the reduced eastward speed of local objects on the Earth's surface), so
it veers east (i.e. to the right of its initial motion). Though not obvious from this example, which
considers northward motion, the horizontal deflection occurs equally for objects moving east or
west (or any other direction).

The Coriolis force exists only when one uses a rotating reference frame. In the rotating frame it
behaves exactly like a real force (that is to say, it causes acceleration and has real effects).
However, the Coriolis force is a consequence of inertia, and is not attributable to an identifiable
originating body, as is the case for electromagnetic or nuclear forces, for example. From an
analytical viewpoint, to use Newton's second law in a rotating system, the Coriolis force is
mathematically necessary, but it disappears in a non-accelerating, inertial frame of reference.
For example, consider two children on opposite sides of a spinning merry-go-round, who are
throwing a ball to each other.

From the children's point of view, this ball's path is curved sideways by the Coriolis force.
Suppose the merry-go-round spins anticlockwise when viewed from above. From the thrower's
perspective, the deflection is to the right. From the non-thrower's perspective, deflection is to
the left. In meteorology, a rotating frame (the Earth) with its Coriolis force provides a more
natural framework for explanation of air movements than a non-rotating, inertial frame
without Coriolis forces. In long-range gunnery, sight corrections for the Earth's rotation are
based upon the Coriolis force.

Fig. 1.
A carousel is rotating counter-clockwise. Left panel: a ball is tossed by a thrower at 12:00 o'clock and travels in a
straight line to the center of the carousel. While it travels, the thrower circles in a counter-clockwise direction.
Right panel: The ball's motion as seen by the thrower, who now remains at 12:00 o'clock, because there is no
rotation from their viewpoint.

Be sure to also read Lecture Notes 7.2 and Reading 7.2b.

7.2b Coriolis

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

7.2b Coriolis

Uploaded by

Document Information

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

7.2b Coriolis

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Reading

7.2a: Introduction to the Coriolis Force

You might also like