Name:

Period:

Convection and Coriolis Effect Lab

Introduction: Earth’s winds are formed and shaped by two separate, yet
interconnected phenomena. First, hot air rises while cool air sinks, creating a
constant circular movement of air called wind. Second, the earth rotates
counterclockwise about its axis–this rotation causes a bending of winds and other
aerial objects (like airplanes!) called the Coriolis Effect. This lab looks at both
phenomena separately to help you understand why, when taken together, global
wind patterns look like this:
Name:
Period:

Wind Convection

Materials
● A pie pan or flat tray
● Ice
● A beaker of hot water
● Food dye

Procedure/Questions:
1. Place an ice bag at one end of your tray. At the opposite end of the tray,
place a beaker with hot water upright into the tray with the water still in the
beaker. Do not burn yourself on the beaker!
2. Fill the tray approximately halfway full of room temperature/tap water
3. Add 3-4 drops of food coloring to the water right next to the ice in the tray.
4. Observe the movement of the food dye for 2-3 minutes. If your dye seems to
have stopped moving, you may gently move the dye to restart movement.
5. Record your observation of the movement of the food dye in the water
in the flat tray. Sketch the pan, hot water beaker, ice, and food colors
below and describe in words what is happening. Use arrows to show the
the path of the food coloring.

6. Challenge: Tornadoes form when warm, humid air collides with cold, dry
air. Try to simulate the circular movement of a tornado or storm with your
food dye. Did you succeed? How did you form the “tornado?” Describe
what you did and saw here.

7. Remove the ice and the hot water beaker from the tray. How did the
movement of the food dye change?
Name:
Period:

Part 2: The Coriolis Effect

Materials:
● A balloon
● A sharpie
● A partner
Procedure/Questions
1. Blow up a balloon to a nice, round shape. The balloon should be big enough
to write on comfortably, but not big enough that you are worried it will pop.
This balloon will simulate the Earth.
2. On your “earth,” draw horizontal lines around the circumference to represent
different latitude zones (use Google). Label each line.
a. The Equator
b. The Tropic of Capricorn,
c. The Tropic of Cancer,
d. The Arctic Circle
e. The Antarctic Circle
3. One partner will draw vertical lines on the balloon to symbolize the North-
South movement of wind. The other partner will rotate the balloon
counterclockwise at a steady rate to model the rotation of the Earth.
a. NOTE: make sure your Sharpie moves ONLY straight up and down.
Do not attempt to curve your Sharpie line to match the rotation of the
balloon.
4. Draw the following vertical lines on your balloon:
a. From the North Pole to the Arctic Circle
b. From the Tropic of Cancer to the Arctic Circle
c. From the Tropic of Cancer to the Equator
d. From the Tropic of Capricorn to the Equator
e. From the Tropic of Capricorn to the Antarctic Circle
f. From the South Pole to the Antarctic Circle
5. Draw your labeled balloon on the back of this page. Include and label
all latitude lines as well as your “vertical” wind lines. Compare your
drawing to the diagram on the first page. How did your balloon model
the Coriolis Effect? What are some of the limitations of this model?
Name:
Period:

Environmental Science Postlab Questions:

Watch the two videos here and answer the following questions:
https://tinyurl.com/siswinds https://tinyurl.com/siswindcells
1. The earth moves faster / slower at the equator than it does at the poles (circle
one)

2. The Earth rotates counterclockwise / clockwise (circle one)

3. Which latitude line on Earth receives the most solar heat? _____________

4. Warm air ______________ while cold air _______________

5. Which cell is the largest of the three global wind cells?

a. Polar Cell
b. Ferrel Cell
c. Hadley Cell
6. Which cell is the smallest of the three global wind cells?
a. Polar Cell
b. Ferrel Cell
c. Hadley Cell
7. True/False: The Earth receives the most rainfall in areas of high pressure

8. The Coriolis Effect causes–

a. The Earth to rotate on its axis
b. Continental deflection
c. Global winds to move in a curved path instead of a straight line
d. Global winds to move faster than they would with no curve

9. Areas of high pressure result in desert / rainforest climates (circle one)

10. If climate change increases the Earth’s average temperature, do you think
average wind speeds would increase or decrease? Why?