Calculate the Coriolis acceleration of an aeroplane flying along the equator due east at
a speed of 300m s−1.
To calculate the Coriolis acceleration, we need to know the latitude of the airplane's position. Assuming it is flying along the equator, the latitude is 0 degrees.
The formula to calculate the Coriolis acceleration is given by:
aC = 2 * (V * sin(Φ)) * ω
Where:
- aC is the Coriolis acceleration
- V is the velocity of the object
- Φ is the latitude
- ω is the angular speed of the Earth's rotation
In this case, the latitude (Φ) is 0 degrees, and the angular speed of the Earth's rotation (ω) is approximately 7.2921159 × 10^−5 radians per second.
Let's plug in these values:
aC = 2 * (300 * sin(0)) * (7.2921159 × 10^−5)
Since sin(0) = 0, the term (300 * sin(0)) becomes 0, which means there is no Coriolis acceleration for an airplane flying directly along the equator due east.
Therefore, the Coriolis acceleration of an airplane flying along the equator due east at a speed of 300 m/s is 0 m/s².