Quiz 5

Force

An influence producing or preventing motion

Force is a vector due to…

Having magnitude and direction

Pressure Gradient Force

The force that arises from changes in pressure over distance

PGF always…

pushes directly from higher to lower pressure

Gradient Wind

From three forces (PGF, Coriolis, and centripetal force) resulting in curvature of flow

Gradient wind flow…

is typically around curves and doesn’t parallel the isobars exactly

Centripetal Force

When you have a curvature path

Centripetal force always…

points towards the center of a curved path

Vector

An object that has both a magnitude and a direction

Coriolis force

Caused by Earth’s rotation and affects wind direction

Coriolis force causes…

Northern Hemisphere deflect to the right and Southern Hemisphere deflect to the left

Coriolis force is…

maximum at poles and zero at the equator

Coriolis force has…

the magnitude proportional to the wind speed and latitude

Friction

The resistance of two objects

Friction affects…

wind speed and direction, especially closer to Earth’s surface

Friction acts…

opposite the wind speed, reducing speed

Friction winds…

tend to flow inward towards low-pressure areas rather than parallel to isobars

Geostrophic wind

Straight-line flow where PGF and Coriolis force balance out. Sum is 0

Geostrophic wind flows

parallel to isobars