Coriolis Force
- A benchtop base unit supporting a rotating arm on which a transparent water tank and counterbalance are mounted.
- The jet of water is observed to deflect when the arm rotates.
- The water tank houses a submersible pump which produces a jet of water.
- Dials and a digital display on the base unit allow students to adjust the speed and direction of rotation, as well as the pump rate.
- The deflection is due to the Coriolis force, a fictitious force which appears to act on objects moving within a frame of reference that is rotating.