AP Environmental Science Students Study the Coriolis Effect

Oakwood High School AP Environmental Science students brought Earth’s atmosphere into the classroom with hands-on experiments on the Coriolis effect. Using a turntable and food coloring to model moving air masses, they discovered how rotation changes the path of objects that appear to travel straight. The lab activities also revealed how uneven heating creates circulating patterns in fluids like air and water. By connecting these observations to real-world weather, students gained insight into how the Coriolis effect helps drive global wind patterns and contributes to the formation of tropical storms.

AP Environmental Science Coriolis Effect Photo Album