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Re: [Phys-l] Coriolis effect puzzlement

A large area anti-cyclonic low pressure center storm in the Northern Hemisphere would strain the laws of physics considerably. They don't occur.

Anti-cyclonic tornadoes in the Northern hemisphere are another matter entirely - they do occur - just not often. That is because their rotation is generated initially by shear. Their ferocity is thought to be associated with conservation of angular momentum when they are stretched vertically. This is similar to the case of water down a drain. There is an initial overall rotation - usually imperceptible. But when the water approaches the hole it is stretched vertically and a pronounced rotation is seen. This is not related to Coriolis effect - just conservation of angular momentum.

Bob at PC

-----Original Message-----
From: phys-l-bounces@carnot.physics.buffalo.edu [mailto:phys-l-
bounces@carnot.physics.buffalo.edu] On Behalf Of John Denker
Sent: Thursday, December 01, 2011 5:08 PM
To: Forum for Physics Educators
Subject: Re: [Phys-l] Coriolis effect puzzlement

On 12/01/2011 02:53 PM, Bob Sciamanda wrote:
Your cases (A vs B) are precisely why I thought I had better add the
note "the earth isn't even visible".

Which case do you think is portrayed in the Figure 12 I cited?

Why do you think figure 12 explains the Coriolis effect at all? Because
wikipedia said so?

What if the caption were wrong, and this storm turned out to be located in
the southern hemisphere, spinning in the "abnormal"
direction? How would you know?

Anticyclonic tornadoes are undoubtedly allowed by the laws of physics. The
"Coriolis" explanation of such things is obviously nonsense.

Ditto for the "Coriolis" explanation of water rotating as it goes down the drain
of a bathtub.

People misquote Shakespeare all the time.
People misquote the bible all the time.
People misapply Newton's laws all the time.
People say idiotic things about Coriolis all the time.

There are right ways and wrong ways to learn about Coriolis.
Obsessing over figure 12 is not one of the right ways.

(The camera did no calculating.)

AFAICT, no calculations of any kind were done involving this figure, with or
without the camera.
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