Final answer:
The curved paths of planetary winds are caused by the Coriolis force, which results from the Earth's rotation, deflecting winds to the right in the Northern Hemisphere and to the left in the Southern Hemisphere.
Step-by-step explanation:
The curved paths of the planetary winds are caused by the Coriolis force, which is due to the rotation of the Earth. This force affects the direction of wind flow across the Earth's surface, causing winds to be deflected to the right in the Northern Hemisphere and to the left in the Southern Hemisphere, creating characteristic curving wind patterns. Without the Coriolis force, air would flow directly in and out of high-pressure and low-pressure zones, but because of the Earth's rotation, winds instead spiral out of high-pressure zones (clockwise in the Northern Hemisphere and counterclockwise in the Southern Hemisphere) and into low-pressure zones (counterclockwise in the Northern Hemisphere and clockwise in the Southern Hemisphere).