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For Educators · Coriolis Effect

Coriolis Effect for a mountain wave

Built for educators teaching it to a class. Drop a live demo into a lecture or assign it as a shareable link — no lab installs. Simulate a mountain wave live below — adjust the inputs and watch it respond, right in your browser.

Coriolis EffectLive

why winds and currents curve

Controls

Speed1×

Presets

Latitude (°)

On a spinning planet, anything moving freely appears to curve — right in the Northern Hemisphere, left in the Southern. This Coriolis deflection is zero at the equator and strongest at the poles. It steers winds, ocean currents, and the rotation of hurricanes, and it is why weather systems spin.

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Data Inspector

Latitude45°

Deflectionto the right

Strength71%

Governing equation

a_{C} = - 2 Ω \times v, f = 2Ω sin φ \propto sin (4 5^{\circ}) = 0.71

Reading this result: Deflection scales with sin(latitude), so at 45° the force is about 71% of its polar maximum, curving motion to the right (Northern Hemisphere).

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Frequently asked questions

Is this good for educators?: Yes — this version of "Coriolis Effect for a mountain wave" is framed for educators teaching it to a class. Drop a live demo into a lecture or assign it as a shareable link — no lab installs.
Do I need to install anything?: No. It runs in any modern browser, free, with no account required.