An object dropped from a stationary plane will not fall straight down, but will instead follow a curved path due to the Earth's rotation. This is because the object, when released from the plane, will initially have the same velocity as the plane itself. As the object falls, the Earth's surface will be moving underneath it, causing it to move horizontally as well as vertically. The object's trajectory will therefore be a combination of vertical and horizontal motion, resulting in a curved path. This effect is known as the Coriolis effect.

The magnitude of the Coriolis effect depends on the latitude at which the object is released. At the equator, the Coriolis effect is zero, so an object dropped from a plane will fall straight down. However, as one moves away from the equator, the Coriolis effect becomes stronger. This means that an object dropped from a plane at a higher latitude will experience a greater deflection from the vertical, resulting in a more curved trajectory.