Coriolis force

/ ˌkɒrɪˈəʊlɪs /

noun

1. a fictitious force used to explain a deflection in the path of a body moving in latitude relative to the earth when observed from the earth. The deflection ( Coriolis effect ) is due to the earth's rotation and is to the east when the motion is towards a pole

Coriolis force

1. A velocity-dependent pseudo force used mathematically to describe the motion of bodies in rotating reference frames such as the Earth's surface. Bodies moving on the plane of rotation appear to experience a force, leftward if the rotation of the reference frame is clockwise, rightward if counterclockwise. Such motion gives rise to the Coriolis effect.

Word History and Origins

Origin of Coriolis force¹

C19: named after Gaspard G. Coriolis (1792–1843), French civil engineer

Example Sentences

It then intensifies and starts to spin because of a phenomenon known as Coriolis force, a product of our planet's rotation.

From BBC

So as a hurricane heads north, it takes in air with a stronger Coriolis force, causing the storm to grow.

From Scientific American

To do that, they looked to Earth’s atmosphere, where the Coriolis force stirs pressure waves in the same way it stirs ocean water.

From Scientific American

He noted several principles capable of debunking the conspiracy theory, such as Foucault’s Pendulum, Coriolis force and the Pythagorean theorem.

From Washington Post

But at higher latitudes, where the globe gets narrower, the waves generated by the Coriolis force are squeezed into a smaller band.

From Science Magazine