The elements of astronomy; a textbook . s the earth rotates, every particle of itsmatter is subjected to a so-called ^centrifugal force directedaway from the axis of the earth (Physics, page 63), and thisforce depends upon the radius of the circle upon which theparticle moves, and the velocity with which it moves. V2The formula is C = -~-, in which V is the velocity of the moving particle, R the radius of the circle, and C is the centrifugal force,expressed as an acceleration,1 in the same way that gravity is expressedby g, —the velocity of 32| feet, which a falling body acquires in thefirst s
The elements of astronomy; a textbook . s the earth rotates, every particle of itsmatter is subjected to a so-called ^centrifugal force directedaway from the axis of the earth (Physics, page 63), and thisforce depends upon the radius of the circle upon which theparticle moves, and the velocity with which it moves. V2The formula is C = -~-, in which V is the velocity of the moving particle, R the radius of the circle, and C is the centrifugal force,expressed as an acceleration,1 in the same way that gravity is expressedby g, —the velocity of 32| feet, which a falling body acquires in thefirst second of its fall. As stated in the Physics in the passage referred to, a bodyat the equator of the earth has its weight diminished by g-J-g- part,in consequence of this force. (But see Art. 91.) 81. Effect of Centrifugal Force in diminishing Gravity.— Between the equator and the poles the centrifugal force isless than at the equator, because the circle described each dayby a body at the earths surface is smaller, its distance from. 8 81j CENTRIFUGAL FORCE. 51 the axis being less. Moreover, as shown in Fig. 17, the cen-trifugal force MT at M, since it acts at right angles to theearths axis, OP, is not directly op-posed to the earths attraction, whichacts (nearly) on the line MO; it isnot, therefore, wholly effective indiminishing the weight of the ascertain the effect producedupon the weight, MT must be re-solved (Physics, p. 52) into thetwo component forces MB and MS. The first Of these alone acts to les- The Earths Centrifugal Force. sen the weight. 82. Effect of the Horizontal Component of the CentrifugalForce. — The horizontal component MS tends to make theplumb-line deviate from the line MO (drawn to the earthscentre) towards the equator, so as to make a smaller anglewith the earths axis than it otherwise would. In latitude 45°, this horizontal component of the centrifugal forcehas a maximum equal to about 7fy of the whole force of gravity, andcauses the plu
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