asked 41.2k views
1 vote
Which way would an airplane deflect if flying from the South Pole toward the equator?

-toward the South Pole
-toward the equator
-toward the left
-toward the right

asked
User Max Yari
by
8.0k points

1 Answer

3 votes

Assuming the airplane is flying in the Southern Hemisphere, it would deflect to the left if flying from the South Pole toward the equator. This is because of the Coriolis effect, which causes objects (including air masses) moving over the surface of the Earth to be deflected to the right in the Northern Hemisphere and to the left in the Southern Hemisphere. As the airplane moves from a region near the South Pole (where the rotational velocity of the Earth is relatively low) to a region near the equator (where the rotational velocity is relatively high), it experiences a change in the Coriolis force acting on it, which causes it to be deflected to the left.

answered
User MEhsan
by
7.9k points
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