Lets finally answer this question.

[Tasmaniak]

So the age old question, does the water spin the other way in the Northern Hemisphere.

Can someone please go and flush the toilet or fill a sink with water and tell me what way the water spins.

Clockwise or counterclockwise?

my toilet spins clockwise...

[1vngal]

Mine goes anti-clockwise. Just so happens I just finished the dishes and still hadn't let the water out.

[Tasmaniak]

so it seems that the myth is actually true eh?

Sweet!

[1vngal]

Why would is spin opposite? Maybe the americans really are backwards....

[Tasmaniak]

lol, well the entire Northern Hemisphere you mean? And if you ask an American or anyone else from the Northern Hemisphere they will tell you that it spins the wrong way in the Southern Hemisphere.

[1vngal]

Of course!

But why would is spin in opposite directions, depending on what hemisphere you live in? What would cause this?

[Tasmaniak]

Some say it is Corialis effect (Kinda like whiplash on the weather in simple terms) others says it is manufacture of basins and what not.

[JD]

you've been watching too much simpsons

[minux]

Erm, how do people tell if their toilet water spins when it flushes?

Seriously though, the Coriolis has NO effect on which way a water spins. In things likes toilets/baths etc. There is no set way toilets baths sinks etc spin in either hemisphere, even studies show the way it spins is greatly decided by many factors. However, cyclones, hurricanes tornadoes etc all spin clockwise/counter clockwise depending on hemisphere, this is caused by Coriolis.

[NORTI]

Toilets here & in the states are different. We have dual flush for one thing (go aussie inventions! lol) also we have much less water & different shaped bowls? I found this out when my son was little, couldnt work out why americans on my mums forum were so anal about toilet locks to stop their kids from drowning in the toilet lol, but yeah turns out, they have drowned in the past Im told! lol so makes me think how much different they possibly are?


Post a pic of ya american toilet for us??

[maryjane]

does it really matter as long as it goes down

[Clinster]

Go check out the Mythbusters website. They have dont it. and even the Pommy show (similar to Mythies) did the same i think.
The water can spin the same direction wherever you are in the world.
It depends on the design of the basin.

[Not_An_Abba_Fan]

Erm, how do people tell if their toilet water spins when it flushes?

Seriously though, the Coriolis has NO effect on which way a water spins. In things likes toilets/baths etc. There is no set way toilets baths sinks etc spin in either atmosphere, even studies show the way it spins is greatly decided by many factors. However, cyclones, hurricanes tornadoes etc all spin clockwise/counter clockwise depending on hemisphere, this is caused by Coriolis.

There is more than 1 atmosphere?

[gopher]

my toilet spins clockwise...

does it make you dizzy?

mines actually screwed to the floor

[AttaBoy]

Mine spins anti-clockwise and very rarely spins clockwise, I think it depends on what type of sh!t/piss dropped down in there. lol....

[stocky]

Toilets here & in the states are different. We have dual flush for one thing (go aussie inventions! lol) also we have much less water & different shaped bowls? I found this out when my son was little, couldnt work out why americans on my mums forum were so anal about toilet locks to stop their kids from drowning in the toilet lol, but yeah turns out, they have drowned in the past Im told! lol so makes me think how much different they possibly are?


Post a pic of ya american toilet for us??

american toilets are weird. the one i had was just a waste of water. the water pretty much filled up to the top of the bowl

[minux]

There is more than 1 atmosphere?

yeh yeh i know, was meant to be hemisphere

[VTSSDUDE]

Didn't MythBusters prove this theory wrong?

[1991_Vn2nV]

american toilets are weird. the one i had was just a waste of water. the water pretty much filled up to the top of the bowl

Wouldnt this cause a er... splash effect maybe?

[minux]

Wouldnt this cause a er... splash effect maybe?

When it was flushed i am guessing.

[stocky]

When it was flushed i am guessing.

nope when it was doing nothing, filled right up until flushed

[minux]

Never seen that while i was there lol, no way would i be dropping rockets into a full bowl

[pow3rslave]

yeah from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coriolis_effect

"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 sink, toilet, or tub, 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. If you shot water into the toilet basin from the opposite direction, the water would spin in the opposite direction[2]."

it's not a grand enough scale for there to be a discernable difference.

[Mr_Slim]

as someone else said, i think we've all been watching too much Simpsons. But then again, is that even possible?

Well except the new episodes, they kinda suck. The old seasons are hilarious

[vlv8vic]

when it runs out of our shower it depends on where you are standing as to which way it goes. hours of amusement.