Coriolis Effect Calculator

Formula

The formula to calculate the force (F) acting on an object in motion due to the Coriolis effect is:

\[ F = 2 \cdot m \cdot v \cdot w \cdot \sin(a) \]

Where:

\( F \) is the Force (N).
\( m \) is the Mass of the Object (kg).
\( v \) is the Velocity of the Object (m/s).
\( w \) is the Angular Velocity of the Earth (rad/s).
\( a \) is the Vertical Latitude (degrees).

What is the Coriolis Effect?

The Coriolis effect is a force acting on any moving object that is a result of the Earth or another planet’s rotation. All objects undergo this effect, and it’s especially prevalent in things such as rockets and missiles. This is also the phenomenon that results in the spinning of hurricanes and typhoons. It actually causes all types of weather to rotate.

Example Calculation

Consider an example where:

Mass of the Object (m): 10 kg
Velocity of the Object (v): 20 m/s
Angular Velocity of the Earth (w): 7.2921e-5 rad/s
Vertical Latitude (a): 45 degrees

Using the formula to calculate the Force due to Coriolis Effect:

\[ F = 2 \cdot 10 \cdot 20 \cdot 7.2921e-5 \cdot \sin(45^\circ) \approx 0.0206 \text{ N} \]

This means that the force due to the Coriolis effect for this example is approximately 0.0206 N.