Coriolis Design Lab
Problem: What direction would a pilot need to take while traveling from Seattle to San Francisco?
Procedure:
1. Put a droplet of water on Seattle on a globe
2. Rotate the globe counterclockwise to simulate the rotation of the earth
3. Apply slight wind to the droplet so it does not roll the wrong way
4. The droplet will end up in San Francisco or somewhere close by
Procedure:
1. Put a droplet of water on Seattle on a globe
2. Rotate the globe counterclockwise to simulate the rotation of the earth
3. Apply slight wind to the droplet so it does not roll the wrong way
4. The droplet will end up in San Francisco or somewhere close by
Data:
Trail # Observations
1- We didn't apply wind so the droplet veered off course into the Pacific Ocean
2- We applied wind so the droplet went south to San Francisco
3- The droplet stayed perfectly on course and rolled in a U shape to San Fran
Trail # Observations
1- We didn't apply wind so the droplet veered off course into the Pacific Ocean
2- We applied wind so the droplet went south to San Francisco
3- The droplet stayed perfectly on course and rolled in a U shape to San Fran
Analysis:
The droplet represents the plane flying from Seattle to San Fran. The pilot would have to fly east in a U shape because the winds blow right and he could follow the them to get him to his destination.
The droplet represents the plane flying from Seattle to San Fran. The pilot would have to fly east in a U shape because the winds blow right and he could follow the them to get him to his destination.