I did horribly on my AP physics test btw lol
(also got a headache trying to read the wikipedia entry haha)
In: Earth Science
It’s not a real force, it’s something that shows up when you’re reference frame (the coordinates you’re measuring in) is rotating. Similar to centrifugal force.
If you’re rotating you feel like you’re getting pushed to the outside of the turn. That’s centripetal force. It’s not really there but it feels like it to you because you’re rotating.
If you try to move “straight” outwards on a rotating surface like the earth you’ll tend to drift to one side. It will feel like something is pushing you at right angles to the direction you’re going. That’s Coriolis force. It’s not real either, it shows up because you’re rotating and trying to conserve angular momentum. It’s why big storms spin.
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