Aussies - need your help (and other southern-hemispherers ...)

[wirthi]

Well, I got a tough question here. Guess you know it, at least if you've seen the Simpsons episode where they travel to Australia.

in what direction does water leave your basin/toilet/bath/whatever? On the northern hemisphere it seems to prefer leaving clockwise. And according to some sources in the media (=>simpsons), that's not the case on the southern hemisphere, where water preferes to leave anti-clockwise.

Now I did a 5-minute-internet-google-reseacht and came to the conclusion: nobody seems to really know it. Well, the so-calles "Coriolis effect" seems to be responsible for it but there seems to be a severe struggle if that's the case, if it is happening at all or if not aliens are to blame (or so).

Well, what do you Aussies and other southern-hemispherers say to all this. How's water leaving you house?

[CaptainMooseInc]

anti-clockwise? Never heard it stated that way...counter-clockwise..now that's a term I know. :moon:

I love being a little smart@$$

[Nexus]

First of all, let me tell you something about that particular episode of the Simpsons. The Australia depicted in that episode is the stupid idea some ignorant Amricans have. In actual fact Australia is a lot like America. It's maybe a bit warmer and a bit dryer, and our redneck drawl has a different twang to it but you won't see kangaroos hopping down the streets or criminals being given the boot. Our criminals are elected to Government, another example of the essential equality of the two nations.

Now, onto the Coriolis force. I don't understand it that well, but it's caused by the rotation of the Earth. If you've got a still body of liquid then, all things being equal, any disturbance that sets the liquid moving will tend to set it spinning in the direction dicated by the Coriolis force. But it's such a small effect that it's likely that external factors will swamp it altogether. It would take only a very small adjustment in the direction of entry of the water to reverse the flow; the Coriolis force would be totally overwhelmed.

The effect is much more pronounced with weather patterns (the atmosphere acts almost as a liquid in this case). If you've got a region of low pressure, it acts very much like the plughole in your sink. The air rushes towards the center of the low pressure system. But theese things are so much bigger that the Coriolis effect is an important factor.

[wirthi]

Originally posted by CaptainMooseInc
anti-clockwise? Never heard it stated that way...counter-clockwise..now that's a term I know. :moon:

I love being a little smart@$$
Forgive me that I'm no native speaker :)

[wirthi]

Originally posted by Nexus
First of all, let me tell you something about that particular episode of the Simpsons. The Australia depicted in that episode is the stupid idea some ignorant Amricans have. In actual fact Australia is a lot like America. It's maybe a bit warmer and a bit dryer, and our redneck drawl has a different twang to it but you won't see kangaroos hopping down the streets or criminals being given the boot. Our criminals are elected to Government, another example of the essential equality of the two nations.

Now, onto the Coriolis force. I don't understand it that well, but it's caused by the rotation of the Earth. If you've got a still body of liquid then, all things being equal, any disturbance that sets the liquid moving will tend to set it spinning in the direction dicated by the Coriolis force. But it's such a small effect that it's likely that external factors will swamp it altogether. It would take only a very small adjustment in the direction of entry of the water to reverse the flow; the Coriolis force would be totally overwhelmed.

The effect is much more pronounced with weather patterns (the atmosphere acts almost as a liquid in this case). If you've got a region of low pressure, it acts very much like the plughole in your sink. The air rushes towards the center of the low pressure system. But theese things are so much bigger that the Coriolis effect is an important factor.
Well, don't care about that, the americans tend to think like that about every other nation in the world. At least thats what I've heard ... guess they still have a very positive opinion of you.

Well, I know that very little disturbances can corrupt the coriolis force but water is leaving clockwise at from all locations in our house. If you tell me it's leaving counterclockwise from yours im already satiesfied.

Thanks Nexus!

[Guilherme]

Sure, wirthi, here in southern Brazil the water leaves the bath/toilet/etc in anti-clockwise direction.

I live at 27°35'36'' S, 48°35'56'' W.

Regards.

[Helix_Von_Smelix]

In English it's anti-clockwise.

American,,,,, well....................

[wirthi]

Originally posted by Helix_Von_Smelix
In English it's anti-clockwise.

American,,,,, well....................
You Brits have to be different than the rest of Europe in every possible way, don't you :D

[Dyyryath]

Here's a great explanation of the Coriolis Effect (especially as it pertains to the atmosphere):

http://www.windpower.org/en/tour/wres/coriolis.htm

[Scoofy12]

the quick answer is that the coriolis effect is enough to alter the direction of a hurricane as it forms (so they go opposite directions on opposite sides of the equator) but NOT enough to affect bath/toilet/whatever water.

the source on that i believe is my wife's fluid mechanics professor, so its pretty reliable, as long as my memory serves me right.

[magnav0x]

First of all, let me tell you something about that particular episode of the Simpsons. The Australia depicted in that episode is the stupid idea some ignorant Amricans have. In actual fact Australia is a lot like America. It's maybe a bit warmer and a bit dryer, and our redneck drawl has a different twang to it but you won't see kangaroos hopping down the streets or criminals being given the boot. Our criminals are elected to Government, another example of the essential equality of the two nations.

Don't be offended by it Nexus, the American public tends to do this to everyone...even their own country mates. If we're not drawing conclusions about how other nations are, we're drawing conclusions about other states in America. One of my best friends from California actually thought when he moved to Texas he was going to have to buy a horse. Because, from what he was always told about Texas and what he saw on TV, we all rode horses and carryed guns around and the what not. I find it quite ammusing and I can take a pounding of redneck jokes and Texas jokes, without getting upset. These genarlizations aren't limited to Americans only. Everyone has their own mental image of what another place may be like. Most of these conclusions are drawn from the very basics of what that person may know bout said place. Personally, when I hear Australia, the first thing that comes to my mind is of course, Kangaroo's. I know they don't run wild through the cities of Australia, but they are Australia's international icon.

And for god sakes people...counter clockwise :D