- #1
Dracovich
- 87
- 0
Ok I'm having some general problems with solving Coriolis problems.
So the general way of writing up the Coriolis force is
[tex] F_c = -2*m*(\vec{\omega} \times \vec{v})[/tex]
But most questions i get about the Coriolis force involve some information about it's latitude position on earth, but i fail to see where this comes into the equation. The chapter discussing the Coriolis force does not seem to touch on this, and the two examples in my book both use the equator, so they are no help.
Also i have some problems visualising which way the Coriolis force works, more in general i have a problem seeing which way a cross product points. Now it's perpendicular to the two vectors, but which way? (+ or - axis).
Just as an example, this is the most basic problem from my book, (which i can't solve since i can't figure out the latitude thing):
"A vehicle of mass 2000kg is traveling due north at 100km/h at latitude 60°. Determine the magnitude and direction of the Coriolis force on the vehicle."
**edit** forgot to smack a minus sign on the formula.
So the general way of writing up the Coriolis force is
[tex] F_c = -2*m*(\vec{\omega} \times \vec{v})[/tex]
But most questions i get about the Coriolis force involve some information about it's latitude position on earth, but i fail to see where this comes into the equation. The chapter discussing the Coriolis force does not seem to touch on this, and the two examples in my book both use the equator, so they are no help.
Also i have some problems visualising which way the Coriolis force works, more in general i have a problem seeing which way a cross product points. Now it's perpendicular to the two vectors, but which way? (+ or - axis).
Just as an example, this is the most basic problem from my book, (which i can't solve since i can't figure out the latitude thing):
"A vehicle of mass 2000kg is traveling due north at 100km/h at latitude 60°. Determine the magnitude and direction of the Coriolis force on the vehicle."
**edit** forgot to smack a minus sign on the formula.
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