MOLINE, Ill. — Get ready to dive into a physics lesson with this week's question! Mike from Davenport asks:
Since the Earth spins about 1,000 miles per hour, why doesn't it create constant high winds?
This one takes some explanation, and it's okay if it doesn't make sense at first. We'll be covering some basic physics principles to answer this week's question.
First, picture this. The Earth, of course, is rotating. However, the atmosphere is also rotating, essentially being dragged along for the ride.
There's also another process at work here, called the Coriolis effect. Now, if you are a fan of "The Simpsons," you may recall the episode in which the show explains what determines the direction a toilet flushes. That is indeed a myth, but the Coriolis effect does impact air circulations, weather patterns and ocean currents.
How does the Coriolis Effect work?
If you stand at the equator, you spin at about 1,000 mph. However, if you stand at the North or South Pole, you move at a rate of 0 mph. This is because you are spinning on the same spot for 24 hours. The human body is used to this motion, so we don't feel this movement.
In the Northern Hemisphere, if an object travels through the air from the equator to the north, it will start to veer off to the right due to the Earth's rotation. In the southern humidity, it's the opposite. It would veer to the left.
The Coriolis effect involves the actual air circulation. Instead of hot air transferring from the equator to the colder poles, it gets deflected away and eventually begins to swirl in a circular pattern.
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