Why does water spin in different directions at different parts of the world?

AI Thread Summary
Water spins in different directions in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres due to the Coriolis effect, which is a result of the Earth's rotation and spherical shape. This phenomenon is often misinterpreted in everyday situations like water draining, as it does not consistently dictate the direction of water flow in sinks or toilets. Instead, the Coriolis effect is more prominently observed in large-scale weather patterns, such as hurricanes. At the equator, the Coriolis effect is negligible, meaning water does not spin in a particular direction.
Jack
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Why does water spin in different directions at different parts of the world?

Also, which way does it spin on the equator?
 
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Originally posted by Jack
Why does water spin in different directions at different parts of the world?


If you are talking about the idea that water going down a drain in the Northern Hemisphere spins one direction and water the the Southern Hemisphere in the Other, It doesn't.

The Idea come from the fact that hurricanes follow this pattern. The reason for this behavior is The Coroilis effect.

The Coroilis effect is caused by the fact that the Earth is spinning and shaped like a sphere.


Also, which way does it spin on the equator?

check out the following links:
http://www.ems.psu.edu/~fraser/Bad/BadCoriolis.html

http://math.ucr.edu/home/baez/physi...al/bathtub.html
 
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Originally posted by Janus
If you are talking about the idea that water going down a drain in the Northern Hemisphere spins one direction and water the the Southern Hemisphere in the Other, It doesn't.

The Idea come from the fact that hurricanes follow this pattern. The reason for this behavior is The Coroilis effect.

The Coroilis effect is caused by the fact that the Earth is spinning and shaped like a sphere.







Oh, but in X-Files it does
 
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