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The model shows an intended destination of a message in a bottle, a, of wind from the north pole. The actual destination is b. What is the reason for this difference?

1) Coriolis effect
2) Changes in salinity
3) Evaporation
4) Water cycle

1 Answer

5 votes

Final answer:

The discrepancy between the intended and actual destination of a message in a bottle carried by wind is likely due to the Coriolis effect, which causes a deflection of moving air and water due to Earth's rotation.

Step-by-step explanation:

The reason for the difference between the intended destination (a) and the actual destination (b) of a message in a bottle carried by wind from the North Pole is most likely due to the Coriolis effect. The Coriolis effect is a consequence of the Earth's rotation, which causes moving air and water to turn to the right in the Northern Hemisphere and to the left in the Southern Hemisphere. This deflection alters the course of winds and ocean currents and can significantly affect the trajectory of objects moving across the surface of the Earth, such as a bottle being carried by the wind on the ocean.

Larger-scale motions like winds and ocean currents are especially susceptible to the influence of the Coriolis effect. For example, without the Coriolis effect, air would move directly into low-pressure areas such as those in tropical cyclones. However, the deflection caused by the Coriolis force creates distinctive rotational patterns, with a counterclockwise rotation in the Northern Hemisphere and clockwise in the Southern Hemisphere. This is why the actual path of the message in a bottle deviates from the intended straight route to point b.

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