Question

Because of the Coriolis effect, if you are in an airplane at the geographic north pole and point it toward Chicago and fly in a straight line at 500 miles per hour, you will _____________________.

A. end up at Chicago, or at least fly directly over Chicago
B. pass hundreds of miles east of Chicago
C. pass hundreds of miles west of Chicago
D. It is impossible to tell

Answer 1

Due to the Coriolis effect, an airplane flying from the North Pole to Chicago without course correction will be deflected and pass hundreds of miles west of Chicago.

Step-by-step explanation:

The Coriolis effect is a consequence of the Earth's rotation, causing moving objects to follow a curved path rather than a straight line. When flying from the geographic North Pole toward Chicago, the effect causes moving objects to be deflected to the right in the Northern Hemisphere. As a result, without compensating for this deflection, an airplane flying straight will end up west of its intended destination. Therefore, if you fly in a straight line from the geographic North Pole toward Chicago at 500 miles per hour, without correcting your course for the Coriolis effect, you will pass hundreds of miles west of Chicago.