I have an exam in oceanography coming up and I'm having a little trouble understanding directions. For example in my review sheet he asks question like this:

In what compass direction does the coriolis force act in the following situations:

An object moving west at 22 degrees north

and

An object moving southeast at 68 degrees south

Can anyone explain to me in a simpler way how to find the directions coriolis acts in?

Thank you

The Coriolis force is always perpendicular (and proportional) to the velocity vector. Whether it goes to the right or left relative to the velocity vector depends upon in which direction the coordinate system is turning. In the Earth's northern hemisphere, the force is 90 degrees to the right of the velocity vector.

For a more detailed explanation, see

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coriolis_effect

Sure! Understanding the direction of the Coriolis force can sometimes be a bit confusing, but I can help simplify it for you.

The Coriolis force is a result of the rotation of the Earth and affects the movement of objects in the atmosphere or oceans. To determine the direction of the Coriolis force, you can follow these steps:

1. Identify the latitude where the object is located. In this case, the first object is at 22 degrees north, and the second object is at 68 degrees south.

2. Determine whether the object's latitude is in the Northern Hemisphere (north of the equator) or the Southern Hemisphere (south of the equator).

3. For objects in the Northern Hemisphere, the Coriolis force always acts to the right of the object's motion. So, if an object is moving westward, the Coriolis force will act to the north of its path.

4. For objects in the Southern Hemisphere, the Coriolis force always acts to the left of the object's motion. So, if an object is moving southeast, the Coriolis force will act to the northeast of its path.

To summarize:

- Object moving west at 22 degrees north: The Coriolis force will act to the north (since it's in the Northern Hemisphere) of its westward motion.

- Object moving southeast at 68 degrees south: The Coriolis force will act to the northeast (since it's in the Southern Hemisphere) of its southeast motion.

Remember that the Coriolis force always acts perpendicular to the direction of motion, and its direction depends on the latitude and hemisphere of the object.