This applet illustrates the
coriolis and centrifugal forces.
A kid riding around on a turntable throws a ball horizontally, and the
applet shows top views of its trajectory as seen from the turntable and
from the earth. Also shown are the ball's velocity (red), the centrifugal
force (blue), and the coriolis force (magenta). The user can vary the
speed and angle at which the kid throws the ball.
Instructions for use
- Enter the speed and angle (from the point of view of the kid) using
the scrollbars provided. (0 degrees means the kid throws it tangentially
in the direction of motion, -90 degrees is directly towards the center of
the turntable, and +90 degrees is directly away from the center.)
- Click "launch".
- Repeat as often as desired. To clear the screen, click "clear".
- To stop execution
in mid-run, click "stop".