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Is it true that in bathtubs in the northern hemisphere the water drains out with a counterclockwise rotation and in those in the southern hemisphere with a clockwise rotation? If so, explain and predict what would happen at the equator, (See "Bath-Tub Vortex," by Ascher H. Shapiro, Nature, December 15, 1962, p. 1080.)

Is it true that in bathtubs in the northern hemisphere the water drains out with a counterclockwise rotation and in those in the southern hemisphere with a clockwise rotation? If so, explain and predict what would happen at the equator, (See "Bath-Tub Vortex," by Ascher H. Shapiro, Nature, December 15, 1962, p. 1080.)

Grade:upto college level

1 Answers

Deepak Patra
askIITians Faculty 471 Points
8 years ago
Yes, it is true that the water drains out with a counterclockwise rotation in the northern hemisphere and clockwise in the southern hemisphere.
The Earth rotates from west to east in the counterclockwise direction about its axis of rotation. Because of this, Coriolis Effect which is the deflection of the moving body when observed from any rotating body like the Earth play a role in maintaining the flow of the water. This effect is responsible for the flow of water to rotate counterclockwise. The same reasoning can be done for the water drain out in the southern hemisphere.
The Coriolis Effect is too weak to observe on the equator. So, there is not effect in the flow of the water drain out in the bathtubs.

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