Ferrel's law

noun

Fer·​rel's law
ˈferəlz-
: a statement in meteorology: a wind in any direction tends to deflect to the right in the northern hemisphere and to the left in the southern with a force that is directly proportional to the mass of wind in question, its velocity, the sine of the latitude, and the angular velocity of the earth's rotation

Word History

Etymology

after William Ferrel †1891 American meteorologist, its formulator

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Cite this Entry

“Ferrel's law.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Ferrel%27s%20law. Accessed 30 Dec. 2024.

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