What is Coriolis Acceleration?
Coriolis acceleration is an inertial or fictitious force that appears to act on objects moving in a rotating reference frame. It is proportional to the object's velocity and the angular velocity of the rotating frame.
How to Use This Calculator
- Enter the mass of the object in kilograms (kg)
- Enter the velocity of the object in meters per second (m/s)
- Enter the angular velocity of the rotating frame in radians per second (rad/s)
- Click the "Calculate" button to compute the Coriolis acceleration
- Use the "Reset" button to clear all inputs and start over
Principle and Formula
The Coriolis acceleration (aC) is calculated using the formula:
aC = 2 × m × v × ω
Where:
- aC is the Coriolis acceleration (m/s²)
- m is the mass of the object (kg)
- v is the velocity of the object (m/s)
- ω is the angular velocity of the rotating frame (rad/s)
Applications
Coriolis acceleration is observed in various real-world scenarios:
- Weather systems, where air masses moving over the rotating Earth experience Coriolis forces
- Fluid dynamics in rotating machinery
- Ballistic missiles and artillery shells fired over long distances
- Design of Coriolis flow meters