What way around does water go through the drain on the equator?

Question

does it go straight down?

Answer 1

yes, it goes straight down. I watched it done in Africa a few years ago, and it was really weird!

Answer 2

Water goes side to side at the equator. At the North Pole, it goes straight down. At the South Pole, it goes UP the drain.

Seriously, though.....the way water goes down a drain has NOTHING to do with where you are on Earth. That is just an urban legend. Unless your drain is 2000 miles across. That could be, if it's the drain in the giant bathtub that Saturn is floating on.....

Answer 3

The coriolis effect which causes water to go one way round the plug hole north of the equator and the other way south of the equator is a function of the (angular) distance from the equator. So as you get closer to the equator, the less "aggressive" is the rotation, too, until it stops and then starts to turn the other way.

This effect is also utilised by Focault's Pendulum, which can tell you the time of day provided you tell it how far from the equator you are!

That's not really an answer to the question, but I do think it's cool!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coriolis_effect

Answer 4

How the water drains depends *not* on the latitude, but rather on the precise shape of the sink, or on any residual spinning water from how the sink was filled. The coriolis force may effect 300-mile-diameter hurricanes, but the difference in the Earth's rotation-speed at the north side of your sink vs the Earth's speed at the south side of the sink is negligible.

I just tried it in my own sink right now (adding a dash of pepper, to see the current). The water went straight down except for a tiny whirlpool glimpsed at the very end, too small to see which way it was spinning. Another sink was definitely clockwise. I live at 37 degrees North.

Answer 5

there is an thought that it swirls in a single course interior the Northern Hemisphere and the different interior the Southern. it rather is declared to be because of the Coriolis result. some state that it rather is an city fantasy and that in case you attempt gazing countless sinks/plug holes and use warm or chilly water the end result won't continually be an identical. the hot Scientist website has an thrilling yet very readable clarification (that it is not continually interior an identical course)

Answer 6

i live on the equator, yes water goes straight down, altho it bubbles a little and prefers to flatten out, but other wise it goes straight down

Answer 7

Yep! Straight down!

Answer 8

Yes

Answer 9

Straight down, obviously. Too hot to play games.

Answer 10

apparently it goes straight down, but wouldn't it be cool if it geysered into the neighbour's yard!!! LOL