What direction does water spin on the equator?

Question

Water spins clockwise north of the equator and spins counter clock wise south of the border, so how does it move on the equator?

Answer 1

its actually a common misonception that water spins only counter clockwise in the drain south of the equator and only clockwise north of it. This is based on the myth that coreolis forces are strong enough to cause the direction of spin to change. In actuality, for coriolis forces to have that strong of an effect, the water would have to be shooting down the drain at WAY more than 200 mph.

the reality is that water goes down a drain based on the shape of the sink and the direction the water enters the drain, so at the equator or in the north or south, it still doesn't make a difference.

here's a website link to an EDU page where they discuss the myth. http://www.ems.psu.edu/~fraser/bad/badco...

(note: the website linked has a couple of topical errors, but is still very useful for the concepts)

Answer 2

For starters, it really is not any longer authentic for bathing room water. The Coriolis stress -the single which motives the Northern vs Southern hemisphere version- is amazingly small and would't override different random elements which contain lavatory structure, minor lack of plumb, etc. So lavatory water turns in whichever course it really is pumped with better stress, and also you'll locate that many spin "the incorrect way" in accordance to the conception. Now, in case you fill a bath in everywhere faraway from the Equator, wait a touch so there aren't any waves (nonetheless water) and then open the drain, certain water will spin contained in the course envisioned by skill of the Coriolis result. Now, for useful engineering purposes, the Equator isn't an "imaginary line". it really is extremely an huge section the position the Coriolis forces are negligible. So if reality learn, bathtub water close to the Equator would turn very, very slowly in both course depending again on minor structure subject matters which contain a bath no longer completely plumb. And for useful purposes, you would see that it does no longer look to spin in any respect. you be conscious, difficult technology is tremendous for the lab, yet "mushy" engineering is better suited to describe authentic life.

Answer 3

The coriolis effect does not determine which way water turns in something like a bathtub or toilet. It's not a strong on something that small as, say, the way it was made. However, it DOES effect things like hurricanes. it makes them sping COUNTER-clockwise in the northern hemisphere. A storm that big is never perfectly circular, so it can never be EXACTLY on the equator, so it will always be north or south.

Answer 4

exactly the opposite way this side of the equator does, I saw that Simpons episode too Ha!!!! But I just wanted to answer this because you're cute love.

Answer 5

It depends on which side of the earth you are on.

If you are on one side, it is spinning clockwise.

If you are on the opposite side, it is spinning counter clockwise.

This is because if you are looking at it from the other side of the earth, it is going the other direction from your viewpoint.

Answer 6

To the east.
Always.