Do toilets flush in the opposite direction in the southern hemisphere?

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CZroe

CZroe

Lifer
Jun 24, 2001
24,195
857
126
Some toilets do not spiral at all. A jet of water from the front blows the waste through the back.
 
MustangSVT

MustangSVT

Lifer
Oct 7, 2000
11,554
12
81
Originally posted by: CZroe
Some toilets do not spiral at all. A jet of water from the front blows the waste through the back.
Click to expand...

some toilets dont have water at all ;)

 
G

GeneValgene

Diamond Member
Sep 18, 2002
3,884
0
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although the coriolis effect is small, and has little effect on sinks and toilets (where toilet and sink geometry as well as other factors have a much larger effect), it does exist...

if you have a perfectly symmetrical drain you will see the difference in the spiral. it's very evident if you have a flat pan with a small pin hole in the middle. i tried it while i was at the equator in kenya.

-edit-
haha i got pwned...i think the kenya demo was a hoax

 
T

torpid

Lifer
Sep 14, 2003
11,631
11
76
Originally posted by: GeneValgene
although the coriolis effect is small, and has little effect on sinks and toilets (where toilet and sink geometry as well as other factors have a much larger effect), it does exist...

if you have a perfectly symmetrical drain you will see the difference in the spiral. it's very evident if you have a flat pan with a small pin hole in the middle. i tried it while i was at the equator in kenya.
Click to expand...

Can you elaborate on your "scientific" approach here? I find it questionable based on the little info provided. Did you put the hole in before or after filling the pan?
 
C

chambersc

Diamond Member
Feb 11, 2005
6,247
0
0
cliffs to snopes: no, urban legend that corolis effect makes water swirl the other way in dif. hemispheres
 
G

GeneValgene

Diamond Member
Sep 18, 2002
3,884
0
76
Originally posted by: torpid
Originally posted by: GeneValgene
although the coriolis effect is small, and has little effect on sinks and toilets (where toilet and sink geometry as well as other factors have a much larger effect), it does exist...

if you have a perfectly symmetrical drain you will see the difference in the spiral. it's very evident if you have a flat pan with a small pin hole in the middle. i tried it while i was at the equator in kenya.
Click to expand...

Can you elaborate on your "scientific" approach here? I find it questionable based on the little info provided. Did you put the hole in before or after filling the pan?
Click to expand...

you're right in that the kenya demo was a hoax. my apologies....

link

Is it possible to detect the Earth?s rotation in a draining sink?

Yes, but it is very difficult. Because the Coriolis force is so small, one must go to extraordinary lengths to detect it. But, it has been done. You cannot use an ordinary sink for it lacks the requisite circular symmetry: its oval shape and off-center drain render any results suspect. Those who have succeeded used a smooth pan of about one meter in diameter with a very small hole in the center. A stopper (which could be removed from below so as to not introduce any spurious motion) blocked the hole while the pan was being filled with water. The water was then allowed to sit undisturbed for perhaps a week to let all of the motion die out which was introduced during filling. Then, the stopper was removed (from below). Because the hole was very small, the pan drained slowly indeed. This was necessary, because it takes hours before the tiny Coriolis force could develop sufficient deviation in the draining water for it to produce a circular flow. With these procedures, it was found that the rotation was always cyclonic.


 
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