Question

The Coriolis force causes freely moving objects to be deflected from their pathway toward the _____ in the Northern Hemisphere and toward the _____ in the Southern Hemisphere.

a) West, east
b) East, west
c) North, south
d) South, north

Answer 1

The Coriolis force deflects objects to the right in the Northern Hemisphere and to the left in the Southern Hemisphere, leading to answer choice a) East, west.

Step-by-step explanation:

The Coriolis force causes freely moving objects to be deflected from their pathway toward the right in the Northern Hemisphere and toward the left in the Southern Hemisphere. The correct answer to the question is a) East, west.

In the Northern Hemisphere, the Coriolis force causes objects such as wind to be deflected to the right, resulting in patterns like the counterclockwise rotation of hurricanes. In contrast, in the Southern Hemisphere, objects are deflected to the left, causing tropical cyclones to rotate in a clockwise direction. The Coriolis force is an inertial force that arises due to the Earth's rotation and has significant effects on large-scale motion such as wind patterns.