A question regarding the Equator
A question regarding the Equator
Author
Discussion

forks

Original Poster:

428 posts

229 months

Saturday 25th October 2008
quotequote all
If you lived in a house which was exactly on the equator,then as with the northern/southern hemispheres it would be Summer if you walked out your back door,and winter if you walked out the front,but....if you had a bathroom in the front and rear of the house,would the water swirl down the plughole in opposite directions?
This question was hotly debated in the pub last night,and to be honest,I feel a bit more stupid bringing this up now,than I did then!

Anyway,what do you think?

ewenm

28,506 posts

275 months

Saturday 25th October 2008
quotequote all
No. The coriolis effect is not strong enough to influence the flow of a bathful of water. It's far more dependent on the existing eddies in the water. Even if you left it for a few days to allow the water to properly settle, the action of pulling the plug out would cause a bigger effect than the coriolis forces.

Don

28,378 posts

314 months

Saturday 25th October 2008
quotequote all
The plughole swirling thing is bks.

And on the equator, near sea level it will be fking hot out of either door. They don't have winter or summer seasons. Temperature is consistent all year and day length is the same. Depending on where they are there may be rainy and dry seasons but every time I've been near the equator it's been pissing down almost constantly. Well. Every afternoon anyway.

Don

28,378 posts

314 months

Saturday 25th October 2008
quotequote all
ewenm said:
No. The coriolis effect is not strong enough to influence the flow of a bathful of water. It's far more dependent on the existing eddies in the water. Even if you left it for a few days to allow the water to properly settle, the action of pulling the plug out would cause a bigger effect than the coriolis forces.
When I visited Australia I did check this. Looked in the darn plughole every time. It was random.

forks

Original Poster:

428 posts

229 months

Saturday 25th October 2008
quotequote all
OK,I see what you mean.Part of the conversation did cover the question as to whether the effect got stronger as you moved away from the Equator,but now it seems that it doesn't exist.Oh and as for the summer/winter thing,I just meant that the actual season would be in place,not that it would be noticeably hotter/cooler!

Would you believe this all started while talking about an episode of the Simpson....you cannot beat drunken conversation!

ewenm

28,506 posts

275 months

Saturday 25th October 2008
quotequote all
forks said:
OK,I see what you mean.Part of the conversation did cover the question as to whether the effect got stronger as you moved away from the Equator,but now it seems that it doesn't exist.Oh and as for the summer/winter thing,I just meant that the actual season would be in place,not that it would be noticeably hotter/cooler!

Would you believe this all started while talking about an episode of the Simpson....you cannot beat drunken conversation!
It exists, just not noticeable at bathtub scales. It's observable in cloud formations and weather patterns.

Edited by ewenm on Saturday 25th October 16:46

jeff m

4,066 posts

288 months

Saturday 25th October 2008
quotequote all
With regard to the sun and the summer winter bit.
Even if you lived exactly on the equator the sun would not be directly overhead at noon. As the "directly overhead" at noon varies between the the tropics of cancer and capricorn.

Incidently you don't get those nice long summer evenings.

Whoops forgot you guys didn't get a summer this year, sorry.

ALawson

8,054 posts

281 months

Saturday 25th October 2008
quotequote all
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=Pb69HENUZs8

I have seen another programme where they carry a kitchen sink 20m either side of the equator and pour water down it, you can see it goes opposite ways either side of it.


ewenm

28,506 posts

275 months

Saturday 25th October 2008
quotequote all
ALawson said:
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=Pb69HENUZs8

I have seen another programme where they carry a kitchen sink 20m either side of the equator and pour water down it, you can see it goes opposite ways either side of it.
yes due to the way the water is poured in. It's a con trick the locals use to extract money from tourists. They've got very good at it. You can do the maths of the force exerted on the sinkful of water by the coriolis effect and it is negligible.

XJSJohn

16,152 posts

249 months

Saturday 25th October 2008
quotequote all
Don said:
The plughole swirling thing is bks.

And on the equator, near sea level it will be fking hot out of either door. They don't have winter or summer seasons. Temperature is consistent all year and day length is the same. Depending on where they are there may be rainy and dry seasons but every time I've been near the equator it's been pissing down almost constantly. Well. Every afternoon anyway.
Speaking as someone who lives 90 miles north of the equator

1 - yes it is fking hot here
2 - whats winter???
3 - whats a season?
4 - its wet most of the time, equaitor generally = rainforrest + doldrums = wet
5 - the water doesn't give a st which way it swirls around the plug-hole.



XJSJohn

16,152 posts

249 months

Saturday 25th October 2008
quotequote all
ALawson said:
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=Pb69HENUZs8

I have seen another programme where they carry a kitchen sink 20m either side of the equator and pour water down it, you can see it goes opposite ways either side of it.
trust me, its bks, a spoof done probably by how they pour the water,


Don

28,378 posts

314 months

Saturday 25th October 2008
quotequote all
XJSJohn said:
Don said:
The plughole swirling thing is bks.

And on the equator, near sea level it will be fking hot out of either door. They don't have winter or summer seasons. Temperature is consistent all year and day length is the same. Depending on where they are there may be rainy and dry seasons but every time I've been near the equator it's been pissing down almost constantly. Well. Every afternoon anyway.
Speaking as someone who lives 90 miles north of the equator

1 - yes it is fking hot here
2 - whats winter???
3 - whats a season?
4 - its wet most of the time, equaitor generally = rainforrest + doldrums = wet
5 - the water doesn't give a st which way it swirls around the plug-hole.
1 - yeah. You know it!
2 - God I wish.
3 - We get four. Bummer.
4 - now that part I'm glad we don't get. Except we appear to. Only colder. Bummer,
5 - yes