Question

The Earth rotates from west to east. A wind mass begins moving due north from the Equator, along the Earth's surface. Neglect all effects other than the rotation of the Earth. How the motion of the wind mass will change?

Answer 1

Hint: We will try to understand the consequences of the Earth's rotation, which may change the motion of the wind mass. If we think about Newton's first law, then it is clear that the wind mass must experience some force to change its motion. Therefore, we will think about the forces that are consequences of Earth's rotatory motion.

Complete solution:
To complete its rotatory motion in an entire day, the Earth rotates from West to East about its axis. This motion of Earth creates a difference of linear velocities between two positions on the Earth's surface while the two position's angular velocity remains identical. Now, the linear velocity at any position on the Equator is higher relative to that of position at the North or South Poles. Thus it is evident that linear velocity decreases as we go to any of the two Poles, i.e., higher latitudes from the Equator, i.e., lower latitudes.
This rotatory motion of Earth creates a significant impact on the wind's motion in the Eastward direction. The wind was moving towards the North direction, and then it faced a force directed towards the East. This condition makes the wind shift towards the East as it goes to higher latitudes.

Note: Earth's rotatory motion also produces centrifugal force. Any rotatory physical system creates Centrifugal force. The Centrifugal force is called a pseudo force because an observer can only experience it by staying at the rotatory system's frame of reference. Another observer from another frame of reference can experience this force.