The Coriolis force deflects moving objects to the right in the Northern Hemisphere and to the left in the Southern Hemisphere. What is the primary physical cause of this apparent deflection?

💡 Solution & Explanation

The Coriolis force is an inertial force caused by the rotation of the Earth on its axis, which imparts different linear speeds at different latitudes, deflecting wind and water trajectories. Gravitational pull from the Moon creates ocean tides rather than wind deflection. Differential solar heating drives atmospheric pressure gradients, and Earth's revolution around the Sun governs seasonal solar angles. The magnitude of this deflection is directly proportional to wind speed and the sine of the latitude.