Chapter 9: Problem 31
The Compton generator is a beautiful demonstration of the Coriolis force due to the earth's rotation, invented by the American physicist A. H. Compton (1892-1962, best known as author of the Compton effect) while he was still an undergraduate. A narrow glass tube in the shape of a torus or ring (radius \(R\) of the ring \(\gg\) radius of the tube) is filled with water, plus some dust particles to let one see any motion of the water. The ring and water are initially stationary and horizontal, but the ring is then spun through \(180^{\circ}\) about its east-west diameter. Explain why this should cause the water to move around the tube. Show that the speed of the water just after the \(180^{\circ}\) turn should be \(2 \Omega R \cos \theta,\) where \(\Omega\) is the earth's angular velocity, and \(\theta\) is the colatitude of the experiment. What would this speed be if \(R \approx 1 \mathrm{m}\) and \(\theta=40^{\circ} ?\) Compton measured this speed with a microscope and got agreement within 3\%.
Short Answer
Step by step solution
Key Concepts
These are the key concepts you need to understand to accurately answer the question.