ABSTRACT
This chapter expands on the idea of inertial forces; specifically, those arising in rotating reference frames. It discusses how a vector in a rotating reference frame can be described in a nonrotating frame, and from that description, shows how applying Newton’s second law in a rotating frame results in inertial forces such as the Coriolis force and the centrifugal force. The chapter then studies how the Coriolis and centrifugal forces affect the motion of a particle near the surface of the Earth. One of the most famous problems involving noninertial reference frames is the Foucault pendulum, which was first devised by French physicist Jean Foucault. The pendulum consists of a heavy mass suspended from a tall ceiling by a long and light wire. As the pendulum oscillates, it precesses in the horizontal plane. In some cases, the pendulum is set up such that it knocks over pegs as it precesses.
