Does water stop ??

[burgerman]

It"s my understanding that when emptying a bath in this area of the world the water circulates in a certain direction,
   
   And the opposite direction if in australia (for example)

    So




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If you were half way between the two locations somewhere, Whould it go straight down with no rotation ?????

[Lucy1978]

The closer you get to the equator the less pronounced the effect is. On the Equator it flows straight down.  do a google for the Coriolis effect.

[thermidorthelobster]

Sorry, it's rubbish - it's an urban myth.

The Coriolis effect does exist but the force it produces is way too small to influence the way water flows down a plughole.

The water flows the way you happen to swirl it when you pull the plug, and has nothing to do with where you are on the planet.

This doesn't stop the myth from being propagated in numerous science text books by authors who have never bothered to check it!  And the BBC don't help much either.

http://www.snopes.com/science/coriolis.asp

[strapping young lad]

maybe the surface layout of the bath/sink near the plughole must influence the direction?

[burgerman]

will do a scientific test tonight, :twisted:
   I shall carry out numerous methods of pulling the plug/swirling the water and post results later on,   Maybe i should go to aussie land to complete the tests  :D

[Skibum346]

Maybe i should go to aussie land to complete the tests  :D

If taht's a precursor to asking for hte hat to be sent round... you've had it!

Only thing being sent round will be d'boys!   :lol:  :lol:

Skibum

[littlepow]

maybe the surface layout of the bath/sink near the plughole must influence the direction?

Has a great effect on the rotational direction of the water.

But it's just another myth, bit like the world was once thought flat. (started by an american in the 20th Century.)

[BigSi]

The rotation of water drain from a bath or sink is influenced by cosmic radiation!!!  :lol:  :lol:  :lol:  :lol:

[V8MoneyPit]

The rotation of water drain from a bath or sink is influenced by cosmic radiation!!!  :lol:  :lol:  :lol:  :lol:

 :lol:  :lol:
Or maybe it's magnetic fields from invisible alien craft!



Yeah, just myth! The plumbing has far more effect. And the forces are really tiny. Try watching the direction of rotation, then swirl it the other way with your hand. It'll happily carry on that way without trying to revert to the other way.

Err.... not that I've tested this or anything, you understand  8-[  :lol:

[clbarclay]

What we need is a mud club Australia corespondent to report on the water over there.
Has dazzawhipple got there yet? not sure who else is a regular on here thats in (or will be short) the southern hemisphere.


The forces may be small, but as on old bearded physics teach pointed out they can be rather entertaining as he proved that all of the girls in the class were attracted to him :roll:  :lol:

[V8MoneyPit]

In Oz, it's the way the dodgy spiders spin in the pipes that determines the rotation  :D

[Welshbreed]

having just filled up my kitchen sink with cold water, then pulling the plug, the water immediately started to circle clockwise... so I started spinning my hand untill it was revolving anti-clockwise. after a few seconds it switched back to swirling clockwise.

my kitchen sink is flat and the plug is in the center. The only effect the pipes would have on the direction, is if water were running from said tap(*s), it would force the water away from the tap, be it anti clockwise or clock wise. *If however two taps were running, water would swirl clockwise if the tap on the right were running faster than the one on the left and vice versa.

SO, however small the magnetic fields that cause the effect the water will always TRY to run clockwise in the northen Hemisphere, and anti-clockwise in the southern.

[DEANO3528]

This doesn't stop the myth from being propagated in numerous science text books by authors who have never bothered to check it!  And the BBC don't help much either.

Ah yes, along with the global warming one being so beautifully manipulated by Government and Brown's Broadcasting Company.

[Welshbreed]

Ah yes, along with the global warming one being so beautifully manipulated by Government and Brown's Broadcasting Company.

not a myth, carbon does speed up the process, however it is already set in motion, and even if everysingle person stupped using any vehicle all around the world... the process would continue, untill we are all in another ice age... so basically it's pointless worrying about it... unless you want votes, or have been miss informed.

[minty]

this was tryed on a bbc 1 program a couple of weeks ago, at the equator and the water flows one way or the other never straight down!!! depending on wot side of the road you stood :?

[Lucy1978]

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=ZU1EB0z-h7w&NR=1

[discomummy]

Hi,

hubby is going to sydney on tuesday - biggest problem is people have showers in oz rather than baths, but i will ask for a scientific experiment in the sink re which way the water swirls

regards

ela

[thermidorthelobster]

SO, however small the magnetic fields that cause the effect the water will always TRY to run clockwise in the northen Hemisphere, and anti-clockwise in the southern.

It's not to do with magnetism even if it IS true.

I've just tried it in my bathroom sink, and it depends entirely on which way the water is swirling to start with.  If I don't swirl, it just goes straight down.  Perhaps your sink has a drain pipe which favours drainage in one direction.  I'd bet a tenner that it's 50/50 if you try a random selection of sinks!

Given the speed the earth rotates (ie 1 revolution every 24 hours) I really can see no phenomenon related to magnetism, gravity or anything else which would provide enough of a force to make any difference.  If you work one out, let me know as it could be a great way to generate free electricity.

Regarding the video, you can make the demonstration show whichever answer you want.  The guy slooshes the water round all over the place, and any force from the Coriolis effect is going to be swamped by all the other stuff going on.

Also, just because the BBC have shown it doesn't mean it's true, minty!  It was on Pole to Pole;  I didn't believe it then and I don't now.

See the Wikipedia article for further debunking of the myth, as well as calculations which show the magnitude of the force is tiny.

[thermidorthelobster]

SO, however small the magnetic fields that cause the effect the water will always TRY to run clockwise in the northen Hemisphere, and anti-clockwise in the southern.

Oh, by the way, if it WAS the Coriolis effect causing this, then it'd be the other way round - counter-clockwise in the north.

[thermidorthelobster]

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=ZU1EB0z-h7w&NR=1

Nanyuki, Kenya?
http://www.ems.psu.edu/~fraser/Bad/BadCoriolis.html
It's a fraud...

[V8MoneyPit]

having just filled up my kitchen sink with cold water, then pulling the plug, the water immediately started to circle clockwise... so I started spinning my hand untill it was revolving anti-clockwise. after a few seconds it switched back to swirling clockwise.

Well, I'm afraid to say, your plumbing is causing it to do that..... well, your sinks plumbing, maybe not yours  :lol:

There is no significant physical effect caused by the earths rotation. It is, without any doubt, a myth.

Try the sink in your bathroom, or the bath. You may well find it goes the other way. All our sinks and the bath can be made to go either way.

Hang on..... I can't believe we are discussing this! Just how sad are we?  :lol:

[Welshbreed]

Hang on..... I can't believe we are discussing this! Just how sad are we?  :lol:

Very. but in our defence... were very tired from work! - thats my excuse anyway. and all my sinks swirl the same way

[thermidorthelobster]

Very. but in our defence... were very tired from work! - thats my excuse anyway. and all my sinks swirl the same way

Is your house subsiding?  :shock:

 

[The Ant Hill Mob]

Have none of you seen Brainiac with the Hamster?  Jon Tickle completely debunked this a while ago, and showed a selection of 'sinks around the world'.

One of the more boring experiments, it didn't involve a caravan and explosives!

[burgerman]

Im no "sadder"  than usual, But still off work and now im feeling brighter i get very bored  :)

[V8MoneyPit]

Have none of you seen Brainiac with the Hamster?  Jon Tickle completely debunked this a while ago, and showed a selection of 'sinks around the world'.

One of the more boring experiments, it didn't involve a caravan and explosives!

Ah yes! Now you mention it, I did see that  :roll:

Im no "sadder"  than usual, But still off work and now im feeling brighter i get very bored  :)

Glad we've kept you amused... at least for a little while. Always nice to find my inane ramblings are not totally useless  :lol:

[Range Rover Blues]

They did this on Brainiac a few weeks ago.  It's all to do with plumbing (not that I needed the hamster to tell me that).

The coroilis effect does work, but only on very, very large bodies of water.