A question about the Equator...?

Question

Ok..When you stand on one side of the Equator the water runs one way, and if you stand on the opposite side, the water runs in the opposite direction... So what happens when you stand right on the line of the Equator.. which way does the water run ???

Answer 1

From Wikipedia:

Draining in bathtubs and toilets

A misconception in popular culture is that water in bathtubs or toilets always drains in one direction in the Northern Hemisphere, and in the other direction in the Southern Hemisphere as a consequence of the Coriolis effect. This idea has been perpetuated by several television programs, including an episode of The Simpsons and one of The X-Files.[1] In addition, several science broadcasts and publications (including at least one college-level physics textbook) have made this incorrect statement.[2]

Some sources that incorrectly attribute draining direction to the Coriolis force also get the direction wrong. If the Coriolis force were the dominant factor, drain vortices would spin counterclockwise in the northern hemisphere and clockwise in the southern.

In reality the Coriolis effect is a few orders of magnitude smaller than various random influences on drain direction, such as the geometry of the container and the direction in which water was initially added to it. Most toilets flush in only one direction, because the toilet water flows into the bowl at an angle.[3] If water shot into the basin from the opposite direction, the water would spin in the opposite direction.[4]

When the water is being drawn towards the drain, the radius of its rotation around the drain decreases, so its rate of rotation increases from the low background level to a noticeable spin in order to conserve its angular momentum (the same effect as ice skaters bringing their arms in to cause them to spin faster). As shown by Ascher Shapiro in a 1961 educational video (Vorticity, Part 1), this effect can indeed reveal the influence of the Coriolis force on drain direction, but only under carefully controlled laboratory conditions. In a large, circular, symmetrical container (ideally over 1m in diameter and conical), still water (whose motion is so little that over the course of a day, displacements are small compared to the size of the container) escaping through a very small hole, will drain in a cyclonic fashion: counterclockwise in the Northern hemisphere and clockwise in the Southern hemisphere—the same direction as the Earth rotates with respect to the corresponding pole.

Answer 2

Up!

Answer 3

Chris G had a really good answer, so I just copied and pasted it for no reason and 2 points.  AWESOME!

From Wikipedia:

Draining in bathtubs and toilets

A misconception in popular culture is that water in bathtubs or toilets always drains in one direction in the Northern Hemisphere, and in the other direction in the Southern Hemisphere as a consequence of the Coriolis effect. This idea has been perpetuated by several television programs, including an episode of The Simpsons and one of The X-Files.[1] In addition, several science broadcasts and publications (including at least one college-level physics textbook) have made this incorrect statement.[2]

Some sources that incorrectly attribute draining direction to the Coriolis force also get the direction wrong. If the Coriolis force were the dominant factor, drain vortices would spin counterclockwise in the northern hemisphere and clockwise in the southern.

In reality the Coriolis effect is a few orders of magnitude smaller than various random influences on drain direction, such as the geometry of the container and the direction in which water was initially added to it. Most toilets flush in only one direction, because the toilet water flows into the bowl at an angle.[3] If water shot into the basin from the opposite direction, the water would spin in the opposite direction.[4]

When the water is being drawn towards the drain, the radius of its rotation around the drain decreases, so its rate of rotation increases from the low background level to a noticeable spin in order to conserve its angular momentum (the same effect as ice skaters bringing their arms in to cause them to spin faster). As shown by Ascher Shapiro in a 1961 educational video (Vorticity, Part 1), this effect can indeed reveal the influence of the Coriolis force on drain direction, but only under carefully controlled laboratory conditions. In a large, circular, symmetrical container (ideally over 1m in diameter and conical), still water (whose motion is so little that over the course of a day, displacements are small compared to the size of the container) escaping through a very small hole, will drain in a cyclonic fashion: counterclockwise in the Northern hemisphere and clockwise in the Southern hemisphere—the same direction as the Earth rotates with respect to the corresponding pole.

7 hours ago

Answer 4

The premise of your question is faulty.  It is not true that water runs one way in one hemisphere, and the other way in the other.  This is an urban legend.

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Answer 5

Sorry but that's not true. water runs down hill no matter where your at on earth unless your talking about the currents in the oceans and they run all kids of ways. The equator is no different than any other place. EDIT: oh i see. well looks like chris g has an excellent answer so i wont even try to beat it because i would fail miserably lol.

Answer 6

I have here not a Wikipedia quote (which is *usually* a good source of information), but the source of the information given in the article on Wiki:

http://www.ems.psu.edu/~fraser/Bad/BadCo...

http://sciencereview.berkeley.edu/articl...

http://www.snopes.com/science/coriolis.a...

Answer 7

I do not know why people always use wikipedia as a source of ifno. Most everything there is half truth and most is not answers given by scientific resources. It even says the info is not from an actual educational source at all times. You can also despute thier info as well. As for those who say it an old wives tale. no it a fact the the water drains clockwise in the nothern areas and counter clockwise in the southern areas. Some one point out a source that states other wise.

Edit: anyone who uses wikipedia as a scientific source needs to find a new source of info.

edit: on wikipedias home page its states, " the free encyclopedia that anyone can edit." very scientific source of info folks!