(a) Given that earth rotates once every 23 h 56 min around the axis from the North to South Pole, calculate the angular velocity, w, of the earth. When viewed from above the North Pole, the earth rotates counterclockwise (west to east). Which way does w point? (b) Foucault's pendulum is a simple pendulum suspended by a long string from a high ceiling. The effect of Coriolis force on the motion of the pendulum is to produce a precession or rotation of the plane of oscillation with time. Find the time for one rotation for the plane of oscillation of the Foucault pendulum at 30° latitude.
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