Rotation and Orbits - Curving around
Curving around
Another effect caused by Earth's rotation causes large moving bodies on or above Earth's surface to curve instead of moving in a straight path. Called the Coriolis forceA force that makes a moving object appear to travel in a curved path over the surface of a spinning body., this bending
movement is named after French mathematician Gustave-Gaspard Coriolis. In 1835, he explained mathematically that this phenomenon is due to the object's course relative to the rotation of Earth.
The direction the object will curve depends on whether it is located north or south of the equator. In the northern hemisphere an object will turn to the right of its direction of movement; in the southern hemisphere, to the left. At the equator moving objects do not turn at all.
[The entire page is 346 words long]
Join eNotes
Over 3,500 study guides, question and answer forums, literature criticism, reference content, and much more!
Navigate
