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What cause the water going down a drain to swirl motion according hemisphere?
What causes the water going down a drain to swirl clockwise in the northern hemisphere and counter-clockwise in the southern hemisphere?
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1 Reply
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The swirling motion of water as it drains is often believed to be influenced by the Coriolis effect, an apparent deflection caused by the Earth’s rotation. According to popular belief, water drains clockwise in the northern hemisphere and counter-clockwise in the southern hemisphere due to this effect.
However, in the case of small-scale systems like sinks or bathtubs, the impact of the Coriolis effect is minimal compared to other factors. The shape of the basin, the water’s entry into the drain, and any residual motion within the water have a more significant influence on the swirling direction.
While the Coriolis effect does play a role in large-scale atmospheric and oceanic circulations, its effect on water draining in a sink is negligible. In reality, the direction of water swirling down a drain is often random or determined by local factors, rather than being dictated by the Earth’s rotation.