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A storm near Florida turns into a hurricane that spins. Is this related to the rotation of the Earth?

1) Yes
2) No
3) Cannot be determined

1 Answer

3 votes

Final answer:

The rotation of the Earth is related to the spinning of hurricanes due to the Coriolis force. In the northern hemisphere, hurricanes rotate counterclockwise, while in the southern hemisphere, they rotate clockwise. The rotation of the Earth causes the moving air in the storm to be deflected, resulting in the cyclonic rotation of hurricanes.

Step-by-step explanation:

Yes, the rotation of the Earth is related to the spinning of hurricanes. The rotation of the Earth causes a phenomenon called the Coriolis force, which deflects the path of moving objects on the Earth's surface. In the northern hemisphere, hurricanes rotate counterclockwise due to the Coriolis force, while in the southern hemisphere, they rotate clockwise.

This happens because as a hurricane forms, the warm air rises rapidly, creating low pressure at the center. Air from surrounding areas with higher pressure moves towards the center of the low-pressure system. Due to the Coriolis force, the moving air gets deflected, causing the storm to rotate.

So, the spinning of hurricanes is directly influenced by the rotation of the Earth.

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