TM1017 CORIOLIS FORCE Vocational Training Equipment Mechanical Training Equipment
CORIOLIS FORCE A bench-top base unit supporting a rotating arm on which a transparent water tank and counterbalance aremounted. The water tank houses a submersible pump which produces a jet of water. The jet of water is observed to deflect when the arm rotates. The deflection is due to the Coriolis force, a fictitious force which appears to act on objects moving within a frame of reference that is rotating. Dials and a digital display on the base unit allow students to adjust the speed and direction of rotation, as well as the pump rate. LEARNING OUTCOMES • Understanding of fictitious forces • Visualisation of the Coriolis force effect • Verification of the relationship between Coriolis force, the speed and direction of rotation and the velocity of objects moving within the rotating reference frame