The force acting on a moving body that is located in an independent system is called the Coriolis force. One of the best examples of Coriolis force is the movement of air across the surface of the Earth. The Coriolis effect is named after Gaspard de Coriolis, a French physicist who was the first mathematician to make a study on this phenomenon. The vector formula that measures the direction and the magnitude of Coriolis force is as follows:
ac= -2 Ω x v
The velocity is represented by “v” whereas the angular velocity is represented by “Ω”. When this equation is multiplied by a certain object’s mass, the Coriolis force is produced, which is represented by the following equation:
Fc= -2m Ω x v
The Coriolis force has a stronger effect on objects that are traveling in high altitudes. For instance, if a bird wants to reach a spot that is located one hundred kilometres away, it is assumed that it only needs to fly in a straight line to reach the destination or spot. In reality, if the bird flies in a perfectly straight line, it will only reach somewhere close to the destination, but it will not arrive exactly at its destination. This is because the Coriolis force will affect the movement of the bird in high altitude. Therefore, it has to change its course slightly during its flight to reach its destination.
A body or object that is traveling at a faster speed will have a stronger Coriolis force. When warm air on a hot day rises rapidly, it will eventually be dragged in one direction by the Coriolis force, as it moves through higher altitudes. If an object is located in the southern hemisphere, it will be dragged towards the left, and in the northern hemisphere, it will turn right. In high altitudes, the effects of air pressure and Coriolis force often set the winds in a spiral. These winds are known as geostrophic winds.
As a direct effect of Coriolis force, an object will deflect clockwise in the northern hemisphere and anticlockwise in the southern hemisphere. Besides having a stronger effect on objects in higher altitudes and faster speeds, the magnitude of the Coriolis force also depends on the position of the object in the Earth’s atmosphere. In the poles, the winds are most affected by Coriolis force, while in the Equator, the Coriolis force on the wind is minimal. Furthermore, Coriolis force only affects large objects such as air masses; for comparatively smaller objects such as aeroplanes and ships, the effect is negligible.
The Coriolis effect has a number of uses or benefits. The calculation of Coriolis force allows ballistic engineers to accurately calculate the trajectory of long-distance missiles. There are certain insects such as moths and flies that utilize the Coriolis force for flying. Also, the Coriolis force has a significant effect on ocean currents, and therefore, it has an enormous effect on marine life.
