Uploaded May 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
This animation connects inertial motion on a rotating platform to large-scale circulation on a rotating sphere, illustrating the physical origin of the Coriolis effect.
Starting with a playground merry-go-round, we examine how objects move in inertial and rotating reference frames. By tracking particle motion on a rotating disk, we show how apparent deflections arise and how these combine to produce circulation patterns. The animation then extends these ideas to motion on a rotating sphere, where the same principles explain the behavior of large-scale atmospheric systems.
These concepts provide a physical foundation for understanding the rotation of hurricanes, low-pressure systems, and high-pressure systems on Earth and other planets.
This video is intended for students in calculus-based introductory physics or astronomy courses.
🔗 Accessible Alternative Media
A fully accessible, text-based version of this animation is available.
A link to the alternative media document is provided in a YouTube card at the beginning of the video.
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Topics covered:
• Inertial vs non-inertial reference frames
• Rotating coordinate systems
• Coriolis effect and apparent forces
• Particle trajectories on a rotating disk
• Great-circle motion on a sphere
• Atmospheric circulation and planetary rotation
• Northern vs southern hemisphere rotation patterns
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Keywords:
Coriolis effect, inertial motion, rotating reference frames, non inertial frame, physics of rotation, angular velocity, circular motion, particle trajectories, rotating platform physics, Coriolis force explanation, atmospheric circulation, hurricanes rotation physics, geophysical fluid dynamics, great circle motion, Earth rotation, northern hemisphere Coriolis, southern hemisphere Coriolis, physics animation, astronomy education, introductory physics
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This animation connects inertial motion on a rotating platform to large-scale circulation on a rotating sphere, illustrating the physical origin of the Coriolis effect.
Starting with a playground merry-go-round, we examine how objects move in inertial and rotating reference frames. By tracking particle motion on a rotating disk, we show how apparent deflections arise and how these combine to produce circulation patterns. The animation then extends these ideas to motion on a rotating sphere, where the same principles explain the behavior of large-scale atmospheric systems.
These concepts provide a physical foundation for understanding the rotation of hurricanes, low-pressure systems, and high-pressure systems on Earth and other planets.
This video is intended for students in calculus-based introductory physics or astronomy courses.
🔗 Accessible Alternative Media
A fully accessible, text-based version of this animation is available.
A link to the alternative media document is provided in a YouTube card at the beginning of the video.
---
Topics covered:
• Inertial vs non-inertial reference frames
• Rotating coordinate systems
• Coriolis effect and apparent forces
• Particle trajectories on a rotating disk
• Great-circle motion on a sphere
• Atmospheric circulation and planetary rotation
• Northern vs southern hemisphere rotation patterns
---
Keywords:
Coriolis effect, inertial motion, rotating reference frames, non inertial frame, physics of rotation, angular velocity, circular motion, particle trajectories, rotating platform physics, Coriolis force explanation, atmospheric circulation, hurricanes rotation physics, geophysical fluid dynamics, great circle motion, Earth rotation, northern hemisphere Coriolis, southern hemisphere Coriolis, physics animation, astronomy education, introductory physics
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