The Coriolis Effect

Follow these steps for the lab:

1. One partner (1) must hold the globe.
2. Another partner (2) will use a vis a vis marker
3. Partner 1 holds the globe and turns it to the right. This is the direction the earth rotates
(Counterclockwise from the perspective of the Northern Hemisphere).
4. Partner 2 tries to draw a straight line from the North Pole to the Equator.
5. Observe and draw the direction of the line in the Northern Hemisphere section of the chart.

Northern Southern
Hemisphere Hemisphere
North
Pole

Equator Equato
r

South
Now switch jobs. Partner 1 will draw the line and partner 2 will spin the globe to the right. This time start at
the South Pole and draw towards the equator. Observe and draw the direction of the line in the
Southern Hemisphere section of the chart. Clean the marks off the globe with the paper towel provided.

1. Describe what you observed when the line was drawn on the rotating globe. Explain .
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2. Instead of straight to the equator, which directions (N, S, E, and W) did the lines follow in each
hemisphere?
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3. Can you think of two things on earth (concepts/fluid) or things that are affected by the Coriolis
Effect? _______________
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4. Describe how the Coriolis Effect would work on a cannon ball fired in the opposite direction, from the
Equator to the North Pole.
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5. Which direction (left or right) would you need to aim the cannon at the Equator in order for it to hit its
target? (Draw a diagram)
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