Question

Coriolis Acceleration?....I don't understand any of it :(

Answer 1

Coriolis acceleration is an apparent acceleration which is the resultant of a fictitious force. This comes about due to applying an inertail frame of reference to a non-inertial frame of reference. Consider the attached diagram (its an animated gif so if you cant see it you can find it here http://www.corioliseffect.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/Corioliskraftanimation.gif). In this animation, an object is moving outward with uniform motion from the centre of a rotating disc. From one reference frame, the object is observed to have uniform motion (no force and no acceleration), but from a different reference frame, the path of the object appears curved. The apparent change in path appears as if a force is applied to it (and hence an acceleration). In actual fact teh change of the objects path is a consequence of its inertia.