Rotating reference frame

A coordinate system that rotates relative to an inertial frame. Describing motion in it introduces apparent forces, including centrifugal and Coriolis forces.

Coriolis force: An apparent force in a rotating frame that deflects moving bodies sideways relative to the frame’s rotation axis. It arises from the cross term between frame rotation and an object's velocity.
Coordinate system: A convention for assigning numerical coordinates to points or events. A rotating reference frame is a coordinate system whose axes change orientation over time.
Earth's rotation: Earth's daily rotation about its axis, which produces the alternation of day and night. The planet's rotation makes Earth-fixed coordinates a rotating frame.
Translating reference frame: A coordinate system whose origin moves relative to another frame without rotating its axes. Translation can add a uniform apparent force, but not the rotation-dependent Coriolis term.
Non-inertial reference frame: A reference frame that accelerates or rotates relative to an inertial frame. Rotating frames are a prominent class within this broader family.
Centrifugal force: An apparent force directed away from the rotation axis, present when motion is described in a rotating frame. It accounts for the outward acceleration associated with steady rotation.
Galilean transformation: A classical transformation relating position and time measurements between inertial frames moving at constant relative velocity. Unlike a Galilean boost, rotation changes direction as well as the frame's orientation.
Geostrophic balance: A balance between pressure-gradient force and Coriolis force in large-scale, slowly varying atmospheric or oceanic flow. It describes why many broad flows move nearly along pressure contours.
Co-rotating frame: A rotating reference frame chosen to share the angular velocity of a particular body or pattern. It is a specialized rotating frame that can make a rotating structure appear stationary.
Centrifugal potential: A scalar potential whose gradient produces the centrifugal force in a steadily rotating frame. It lets the centrifugal term be incorporated into an effective potential.

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