if you flush a toilet, does the water swirl clockwise or anti-clockwise? Why is this?

Answer 1

Coriolis effect was the reason given years ago for the clockwise or counter clock wise motion of draining water. It is believed that the spin of the Earth will affect the direction that the water will swirl when draining. This is not fact, however. The spin of hurricanes can be affected by coriolis effect, but they are much larger than your average toilet.

This site explains it a bit more.

Answer 2

It depends mainly on the geometry of the toilet bowl and of the orifices supplying water to it, which normally pour water in at an angle. Most toilets will have enough bias in these factors that the toilet will always flush in the same direction. If these factors are essenitally neutral, air currents or initial motion of the water in the bowl will determine the direction of flushing.

There is a widely circulated myth that toilets flush clockwise in the Northern Hemisphere and counterclockwise in the Southern Hemisphere. This is a misapplication of the Coriolis effect. The Coriolis effect is a real phenomenon that determines the clockwise and counterclockwise motion of air within high and low pressure systems, which do reverse in opposite hemispheres. However, the Coriolis effect only dominates in systems that are very large, like weather systems. It does not exert a measurable influence on systems as small as toilets or tubs.

Answer 3

It depends on the design of the toilet. In order for your toilet to be self-cleansing, water is squirted into the bowl at an angle. Being north or south of the equator has nothing to do with the swirl.

Answer 4

The water slows whichever way you want it to. Water swirling different ways in the northern and southern hemispheres is a myth!

Try it at home, fill your sink or bath and watch which way it goes. Then push it the other way!

Slight disturbances in initial conditions will dictate which way the water will start to swirl. This could be which tap you are usuing or in which direction you pull the plug out, or the shape of the thing that holds the water.

Answer 5

Counterclockwise, because that's the way the "jets" under the bowl point. It has nothing to do with what hemisphere your toilet happens to be in.

Answer 6

clockwise, because of the north and southern hemispheres.

Answer 7

Stuart is right. The n/s thing is baloney! It's all friction.

Answer 8

counter clockwise dude.

Answer 9

Anticlockwise? How about counterclockwise.
Let me flush one and get back to you on that.

Answer 10

have you actually sat and watched this to come up with this question? may i suggest getting out a little more.. :)