Hurricanes
Entry posted by crazycrochet20
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Physics is everywhere in real life! Most people don't think about it, but weather is an aspect of physics. After all of the major hurricanes this year, I think looking at the physics behind the hurricane is a good idea. Hurricanes are formed when high air pressure intrudes in cold air pressure space which then rises and starts swirling and forming extremely high winds and destructive storms in a matter of days. The picture below shows why these storms are formed in the tropical regions and are able to create so much damage once it reaches land.
The major physics aspect that I took from hurricanes is the Coriolis Force. This force follows Newton's Second Law but it has a rotating reference frame. When the force is applied to the Earth, it is often times called the Coriolis Effect. In most cases, the rotating object is the earth which helps account for some of the motion of objects on the earth. Looking from above, the object appears to move straight out, yet when looked at from a different angle, the object seems to have a curved path outwards.
When hurricanes start to form, the air that is brought in is deflected perpendicular which also creates the spiral motion. This force also initiates the movement of the hurricane often towards land due to the rotation of the air. Once a hurricane reaches land, destruction will soon follow and remain.
Until next time,
RK
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