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From: jim@alberta.UUCP (Jim Easton)
Newsgroups: net.physics
Subject: Re: Re: The wild ride down the drain... (Coriolis force)
Message-ID: <764@alberta.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 23-Dec-85 19:34:42 EST
Article-I.D.: alberta.764
Posted: Mon Dec 23 19:34:42 1985
Date-Received: Wed, 25-Dec-85 03:17:49 EST
References: <50@decwrl.UUCP> <677@hou2b.UUCP>
Organization: U. of Alberta, Edmonton, AB
Lines: 18

> Contrary to what many have claimed, the coriolis force does exert
> a real influence in determining the direction of spiral down the
> drain.  This fact has been experimentally shown many times.  There
> is a short film I saw in Fluids class or Frosh Physics umpteen years
> ago that recorded one of these experiments.  A large tub was filled
> so that the induced motion would be contrary to the expected motion.
> The tub sat undisturbed for hours.  When a plug was pulled, the water
> eventually spiraled the way expected.  The experiment was repeatable.


Nobody said that Coriolis acceleration was zero - just very small for
small bodies of water.  Given a "large" (how large was it?) tub of water
under carefully controlled conditions one might observe a correlation.  

However that's a long way from water flushing down toilets and draining
out of bathtubs.   Let's try to keep a sense of perspective.

	Jim Easton (..!alberta!jim)