- #1
Karol
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Homework Statement
A stone is left to fall from a 80 meters high tower on the equator.
How far in front of the tower it will fall.
Homework Equations
The angular velocity of the earth: ω=7.27E-5 [rad/sec]
It reaches the ground in 4 seconds.
The Attempt at a Solution
This problem is solved, in a book, using Coriolis acceleration formulas. the result is that the stone falls approximately 1.5 centimeters in front of the tower.
But there was also a general explanation which says that since the tangential velocity is higher at the top of the tower than it is at the bottom, it will fall some distance in front.
I used this explanation and solved:
7.27E-5 [rad/sec]x80 [m]x4[sec]=0.023[m]=2.3[cm]
This is greater than the result based on the Coriolis calculation.
How to combine the two methods?
The direction of the distancing due to the difference in tangential velocities is eastward, and the coriolis force also acts eastward, so, if the two methods should be added, i should have gotten a smaller result.
What do i need the coriolis force, if the difference in velocities explains the distancing?
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