Climate #6: Rotation of the Earth - a podcast by PSD Channel 10 and Little Shop of Physics

As we saw in the last segment, the earth's poles are cold and the equator is warm. So, if heat moves from warm spots to cold spots, why doesn't the earth's heat just move from the equator out to the poles? Basically, because the earth isn't exactly sitting still -- it's rotating at a high speed! (Think about how big the earth is, and the whole thing has to spin around once in 24 hours!!) This complicates matters, to say the least.
Let's demonstrate what happens with a spinner, some paper and food coloring. Make a prediction: what will happen to the colors? How dramatic of an effect do you think you will see?

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