What causes the prevailing winds to flow from either the east or the west at certain belts of latitude?

The correct answer is the Coriolis Effect. This phenomenon arises from the rotation of the Earth and influences the direction of winds and ocean currents. As the Earth rotates, different points on its surface move at varying speeds—locations near the equator move faster than those near the poles due to the spherical shape of the planet.

This variation in rotation speed causes moving air and water to turn and twist, rather than moving in a straight line from high-pressure to low-pressure areas. In the northern hemisphere, the Coriolis Effect causes winds to deflect to the right of their initial movement, while in the southern hemisphere, they deflect to the left. At certain latitudes, these deflections create prevailing wind patterns, such as the trade winds, which flow from east to west near the equator, and the westerlies, which blow from west to east in the mid-latitudes.

The other concepts listed do not directly relate to the pattern of prevailing winds. Precession refers to the gradual change or "wobble" in the orientation of the Earth's axis. Centrifugal Force is the apparent force experienced when an object moves along a curved path, but it does not have a significant impact on the direction of wind flow.