0.707107
0.00103124
m/s^2
0.001031
N
100
s
5.156223
m
5.156223
m
0.707107
0.00103124
m/s^2
0.001031
N
100
s
5.156223
m
5.156223
m
The Coriolis Effect Calculator computes the magnitude of the Coriolis force acting on a moving object on the rotating Earth. The Coriolis effect is a fictitious force that arises in rotating reference frames, causing moving objects to appear deflected to the right in the Northern Hemisphere and to the left in the Southern Hemisphere. The force is given by: $$F_C = 2m\omega v \sin(\phi)$$ where m is mass, ω is Earth's angular velocity (7.292 × 10⁻⁵ rad/s), v is the object's speed, and φ is latitude.
While negligible for everyday human-scale motion, the Coriolis effect profoundly shapes large-scale atmospheric and oceanic circulation. It is responsible for the rotation of cyclones, the deflection of trade winds, ocean gyres, and the Ekman spiral in oceanography. Military and long-range ballistic calculations must also account for Coriolis deflection, as artillery shells and missiles traveling hundreds of kilometers experience measurable lateral deviation.
This calculator computes the Coriolis force and acceleration for any mass, velocity, and latitude, plus the approximate lateral deflection per kilometer of travel. It is a valuable tool for meteorology students, geophysics researchers, ballistics engineers, and anyone studying rotating reference frames.
The Coriolis acceleration for horizontal motion on Earth's surface is:
$$a_C = 2\omega v \sin(\phi)$$
and the corresponding force on a mass m is:
$$F_C = 2m\omega v \sin(\phi)$$
where ω = 7.292 × 10⁻⁵ rad/s is Earth's angular velocity, v is the object's horizontal speed, and φ is the geographic latitude. The sin(φ) factor means the effect is maximum at the poles (sin 90° = 1) and zero at the equator (sin 0° = 0).
The lateral deflection over a distance d is approximated by treating the Coriolis acceleration as constant over short distances: $$\Delta x \approx \frac{1}{2} a_C t^2$$ where t = d/v is the travel time. This gives the sideways displacement per kilometer of straight-line travel.
For a 1 kg object moving at 10 m/s at 45° latitude, the Coriolis force is only about 0.001 N — completely negligible for daily life. This is why the Coriolis effect does not determine which way your bathtub drains. However, for a hurricane spanning hundreds of kilometers with winds of 50+ m/s, the Coriolis force is the dominant factor creating cyclonic rotation. For military snipers, a bullet traveling 1 km at 800 m/s deflects only centimeters, but at longer ranges this becomes significant. The deflection scales with the square of travel time, making it increasingly important for slow-moving or long-distance phenomena.
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A 45 kg shell at 800 m/s deflects about 6.5 cm per km. Over a 30 km trajectory, cumulative deflection can reach tens of meters.
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A 1-ton air parcel moving at 50 m/s at 25°N latitude experiences 3.08 N of Coriolis force, deflecting it rightward and creating the counterclockwise rotation characteristic of Northern Hemisphere hurricanes.
No. The Coriolis force on water in a toilet or sink is roughly 10 million times weaker than other forces like the basin geometry, residual currents, and drain design. The toilet-drain myth is one of the most persistent misconceptions in physics.
At the equator, latitude φ = 0° and sin(0°) = 0, making F_C = 0 for horizontal motion. Geometrically, the horizontal component of Earth's rotation vector is zero at the equator. This is why tropical cyclones cannot form within about 5° of the equator.
No, it is a fictitious (pseudo) force that appears only in rotating reference frames. In an inertial (non-rotating) frame, the object moves in a straight line; it is the Earth rotating underneath that creates the apparent deflection. However, in the Earth-fixed frame where we live and measure, the Coriolis effect has real, measurable consequences.
Air flowing toward a low-pressure center is deflected rightward (Northern Hemisphere) or leftward (Southern Hemisphere) by the Coriolis force. This deflection creates the characteristic counterclockwise (NH) or clockwise (SH) spiral of cyclonic storms.
Yes, at extreme ranges (1,000+ meters). A bullet traveling 1 km at ~900 m/s at 45° latitude deflects roughly 7–10 cm. At 2 km the deflection quadruples to ~30–40 cm, enough to miss a human-sized target. Military ballistic computers include Coriolis corrections.
Yes. Any rotating body has a Coriolis effect proportional to its angular velocity. Jupiter, which rotates in just 10 hours (ω ≈ 1.76 × 10⁻⁴ rad/s), has a Coriolis effect about 2.4× stronger than Earth's, contributing to its dramatic banded atmospheric circulation.
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