Water Experiment: The Drain Dilemia

Drain question: Experiment 1

For our first “assignment” the class was taken, as most of you reading this know, to a women’s bathroom to observe what way the water spun down the drain (in both a toilet and a sink). When my group observed both the toilet and the sink drain, the majority came to the conclusion that the water spun clockwise.

Personally, that is what I observed as well. The toilet was a little bit trickier to tell the direction, but after looking at it closely, clockwise, was my final answer.

As part of this assignment, the class was to research the answer and come a conclusion based on fact. Rolled into this, was the assignment to see if toilets in Australia drain water in a different direction than Boston.

The Coriolis force, "An apparent force that as a result of the earth’s rotation deflects moving objects ( as projectiles or air currents) to the right in the northern hemisphere and to the left in the southern hemisphere,” as defined by Merriam Webster, was applied by some as an explanation to why certain drains drain water in different directions.

After researching, I am sticking with my original theory of which direction the water spins. Although some people use the Coriolis effect to explain, for instance, why toilets may flush differently in Australia, after researching, this theory has been debunked numerous times. One website that I came across described it very well stating, " The Corlious effect is much too weak to have any affect on small, short-lived rotating bodies of water under normal conditions" (weatherimagery.com). After researching, I have found that the reason that toilets and drains flush in different directions depends on the shape, size, and overall design of the drain.

- Hilary Katulak

Hello Harbor Class!

My name is Hilary Katulak and I am a rising senior at Simmons College studying marketing and public relations. Originally, I am from Mattituck Long Island. My family relocated to Gloucester, Massachusetts a little while ago and although it’s beautiful, I have never lost that connection with Long Island and its coast.

This year I will be starting graduate school at Simmons as part of an integrated accelerated degree program.This being said, I feel like life, for me at least, has suddenly started moving along at a rapid pace. Thus, it is really important to find things that are relaxing and a break from everyday reality. This is why I have always felt a connection with the water I guess. Luckily, I have always been fortunate enough to live on the coast, and thus, have been involved with water recreation (such as competitive swimming and water polo) for most of my life.

To say it simply, as cheesy as it comes across, I feel a connection with the water. That is what I love about the ocean, a simple (maybe even silly) construct that I have created, a connection and passion for the way the water makes me feel. To be honest, I have never really enjoyed science, but I am excited to take this class not only because it fulfills my science requirement in a fun and interesting way, but also, I get to gain a different perspective about my favorite element. I know this post is probably longer than most of you are willing to read, for that, I am sorry, but I am very excited to meet all of you and can’t wait to for class to really begin!

Best,

Hilary Katulak

Hello everybody!

My name is Andrew Comenzo. I am a senior BU and I will be graduating (hopefully) in the winter with a BA in psychology. I grew up outside of boston in the suburbs but spent a lot of time in east boston/lynn/revere/winthrop/north shore area where the majority of my family resides. I know how do get around the city pretty well and if anyone needs a hand with directions or whatnot let me know.
I have to be honest that I have never been much of an ocean person. My brother and sister scared me when I was young about sharks and then I had a pretty traumatizing jelly fish experience so that sort of tainted my initial perception about the ocean. I've been working to move passed it most of my life. However, I am a water person. I have been a lifeguard/swim instructor for 7 years. My family has a house on lake winnipesaukee in NH and my siblings and I bought a boat a couple years back so I spend as much time as I can up there on the lake. where there are no sharks... or jellyfish... I also like river canoeing, flat water canoeing, kayaking (although I have only done it a handful of times), white water rafting, and "outdoorsy" stuff in general. I hike, rock climb, camp (not the type where you bring a standing grill and a cooler full of bud light, although, that is fun as well), etc. Because of my passion for the outdoors I do my best to limit my impact on the environment and I consider myself a very environmentally conscious person but I have never pushed far passed that. That being said, I am really excited to interact and be involved with people who activility working to protect and preserve the environment
I took this class for three reasons: 1) it sounded fascinating 2) it's outdoors 3) Getting 4 college credits in 12 days is awesome.

Sink experiment:
I know from general knowledge (as in I have no idea HOW I know it or why) that water in the northern hemisphere drains clockwise and in the southern hemisphere (e.g. in australia) it drains counterclockwise. When we observed the water draining into the sink everyone exclaimed it drained counterclockwise but I was not convinced. The toilet obviously drained clockwise but I think that the angle that the water sprays into the bowl has an influence on which way the water drains. I wonder if the water was angled in a counterclockwise orientation would it drain that way instead? To research this I called the person who I contact about most things scientific, my father. He explained to me that Coriolis effect is the physical phenomena that determines the direction that water drains. It has to do with the earths rotation and the power of gravitational pull (among other factors) when getting close or further from the earths south and north polls. However, the Coriolis effect only pertains to large pools of water. The way that small amounts of water (like the water in the sink or the toilet) drain can be influence by the shape of the sink or container, the oscillation in the water, temperature, etc. This would explain why the sink drained counterclockwise and the toilet drained clockwise. I wonder if angle of the water jets in toilets is different in australia... Thanks dad!

-Andrew R. Comenzo

Snails to Whales Intro

Hello,

My name is Sarah Appleton. I am a Senior at Boston University studying Mechanical Engineering. Aside from school I have always been athletically focused. I have played on the Boston University Women's Ice Hockey team for the past four years. I have two older brothers and have grown up always curious about everything. My teamates and friends always comment on my numerous questions about everything. I love seeing how things work and discovering new things. I also have a large passion for the environment. I guess these two things have led me to come across this class. I am a huge hands-on, visual learner and was exstatic when I learned about all the exciting things we get to experience. I have gone to Cape Cod every summer and know beaches pretty well. When I was little, I was afraid of Hermit crabs. Granted, I was like 3 years old when I had this fear but still, Hermit crabs? I will say I have gotten over this fear but I feel like there is so much that I do not know about many of the inhabitants of the shoreline.

As far as the experiment is concerned:
I feel like people are always curious about the answer to the question about toilet flushing motions. I know I have been, especially since that Simpsons episode from my early childhood when Bart goes to Australia. Thinking about it like an engineer, I feel like it is about how the toilet or sink is designed. Given that this is a course about harbor wildlife I was a little skeptical and thought that it may be something more like gravitational pull. I looked around and found a site that I found most helpful http://www.loc.gov/rr/scitech/mysteries/coriolis.html . Given that it is from the library of congress, I figured that it would be pretty reliable. It proves my original thoughts on the matter during the experiment. There were a couple of interesting facts about the Coriolis affects on large bodies of water in the hemispheres.

Well, that's all for now. See you all soon enough,
Sarah Appleton

Introduction/Water flow direction

Hi Class,

My name is Niurka De Leon but people usually call me Nikki. I am a senior at BU and hope to complete my degree requirements by the end of this year. This class was presented to me by my advisor who spoke greatly about it and highly suggested I consider it, to meet the requirements of the degree. She also said that everyone that takes it usually has wonderful things to say about it. She sold me on the idea, so here I am. As far as my sea escapades, I love the beach for personal pleasure specially the tropical island beaches, the sand, the clear blue water, the palm trees...you get the picture. I am looking forward to what appears to be an experience vs. a another class.

As far as the experiement goes, I saw the water twirl down in a clockwise direction. In researching this online the Coriolis effect kept coming-up in the articles I found, one in particular: http://ww.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=can-somebody-finally-sett . As far as I can tell this this is not a credible reason based on most arguments presented because the Coriolis effect has to do with "why things appear to speed or slow as the world spins out from under them." per discover.com article "The Skinny on Why toilet Bowl Water Twirls Clockwise". The argument kept coming-up that the water twirls differently in the northern vs. southern hemisphere. I personally don't believe this is true because I cannot find credible information to suggest that it is.

My Snails to Whales Intro

Hi Everyone!

I'm really excited to be taking this class, it's a definite refresher for my less than exciting summer. A little bit about myself: I am a New Englander to the core. I was born in New Hampshire, moved to Boston as a toddler and have lived here ever since. I tried going away to college but missed the city too much and had to come back, so now here I am entering my senior year at BU as an Environmental Policy student in CAS. Needless to say (as you can see from my major) I am thrilled to be taking this class and it is a huge change from my sometimes dry policy lectures to be able to actually get out there and do something fun outside. I work full-time here at BU over the summer and could definitely use some fresh air after being stuck inside an office for a good chunk of my weeks. As for being around the ocean, it hasn't been too hard to get to the water since Boston is pretty much as close to the sea as you can get without falling in. I have been extremely lucky to not only live a T ride away from the bay but also that my father has had a boat docked in Watertown for all of my family to enjoy. We take hours on weekends (when the weather cooperates) to stroll down the Charles, through the locks, and into Boston Harbor where we see an entirely new view of the city. For me, the water not only helps me clear my head, but also reminds me that I am just one humble person next to such vast and endless ocean.






Here's a picture I got to take from my dad's boat of one of the ships that came in during the last Tall Ships tour:








Other than his boat, my favorite place in Boston to clear my head is Christopher Columbus park...it's a little slice of what the Harbor has to offer and is beautiful all year round.

I hope to meet all of you and am really looking forward to all our field trips!

Now, on to the research question from class.

Watching both the sink and the toilet drain, I thought that the sink drained counter-clockwise and the toilet drained clockwise. I honestly had never given water drainage a second thought before, and could only think of the Coriolis force when the question was posed to us. Though I know that the Coriolis force could not apply to something so small as sink drainage (as it mostly applies to air mass direction), it was the only idea that popped into my head. This also would mean that water would drain in the opposite direction in the Southern hemisphere, but that sounded ridiculous so I abandoned that thought.

To find an answer to the question that surprisingly had been asked many many times before, I turned to the website http://www.snopes.com/science/coriolis.asp for some guidance. Surprisingly, the Coriolis force was brought up and I didn't feel so stupid for thinking about it anymore. And actually, the answer seems pretty obvious now that I read it on this site: the direction of water circulation from a flushed sink or toilet depends on the "configuration of taps and drains" which "is responsible for the direction of spin given to water draining." Duh. So the water water moves is essentially dependent on the construction of the sink or toilet, not some larger external factor, go figure. I completely believe this site because it is, well, totally believable and I can't see any other reason why water would move differently from one appliance to another.

See you all on Friday!
-Lydia Tempesta

Source:
http://www.snopes.com/science/coriolis.asp

Vania G Barraza

Hello,

My name is Vania; i grew up in Guatemala City "the country of the eternal spring" they called like that because thats the only season we get all year long. I went to law school in Guatemala and came to Boston like 4 years ago and transfer some of my law credits towards a bachelors degree in criminal justice here at Boston University. I am a senior planning to graduate next spring and im looking forward to go to law school next fall. I have a 2 years old daughter, who keeps me busy along with my 3 part-time jobs and school. Im honestly just taking this class to fullfill my last science requirement for graduation. I get very scared of any science courses because i am more of a social science person. I dont like beaches here at boston because i think the water is too cold for me to enjoy it.

In regards to our first assigment, this is what i observed: First i saw the water go all the way up to the top of the sink as the proffesor block the drain with his hand. I wanst able to see which way the water was draining at first and then i believed the water drain clockwise in both situations in the sink counter and in the toilet. I have never wonder why the water drains in a certain way or direction, so i research in google.com the following question: Why does water go down a drain counter clockwise and it sent me to a web page by the name of Everyday Mysteries (http://loc.gov/rr/scitech/mysteries/coriolis.html). So, according to this page the way the water drains depends on how the water was introduce to the sink and the geometric structure of the drain. To answer to the question if i think water drains in sinks and toilets the same way in australia (clockwise) this same web page mentioned above, had the following information: You CAN find both counterclockwise and clockwise flowing drains in both hemispheres. According to this page the coriolis effects has nothing to do with the way the water drains in the sinks or toilets as other sources might say because this force is too weak to control such small bodies of water, one thing the coriolis force does affect is the hurracane air flow, which is different in each hemisphere. But according to a simpsons episode, Bart Simpson notices while in australia that the water in the sinks always drained couterclockwise and the sister Lisa explained to him that is due to the coriolis effect, which he didnt believe. I think based on what i read about the coriolis effect that this force does not affect small bodies of water as the ones in a sink.

Thanks,

Vania G. Barraza

Intro

Hi class,

My name is Darryl Partin and I am a Jr at Boston University majoring in Criminal Justice. Last year was my first year at Boston U after transfering from Laslle University in Philadelphia. I am a student athlete on the mens basketball team here at BU. Im from Seattle Washington but recently relocated to Raleigh North Carolina. I have one older brother which still lives in seattle and pretty much family all over the east/westcoast.

I was drawn to this class for my vast interest in the marine animal kingdom and if/how evolution plays its part in it. The overall interest in environmental topics like this seems to come my childhood. My father is a huge fisherman and a big advocate for marine life. So i figured this would be just the class to brew some great at home depaits.

Bathroom Experiment:

I watched the experiment very closely and noticed the sink went clockwise, yet the toilet went counterclockwise. Honestly, I was always under the impression that in the northern hemisphere water spunt counterclockwise and in the southern hemisohere clockwise. I always believed in Australia toilets spunt in opposite directions. I mainly think my reasoning is largely due the a media outlets.

Being such a discovery channel guy thats were i did my research. While looking into this topic i continued to see that this was in actuality false. I read alot on the coriolis tendency and how its foiled by the friction of various surfaces. In the artice at www.discover.com/area/skinnyon970523 i read that coriolis isnt even a real force since it doesnt make anything speed up or slow down it only explains why things may appear to spead up or slow dont as the world spins underneath aka frictitious force.

Darryl Partin

This is my first official blog and my boys all think it is really funny, and/or embarrassing, that their mom is actually doing this! My name is Mary and I have a sneaky feeling that other than Prof Berman, I am the oldest person in the class. I am a single mother of three boys and work 9 months out of the year at CGS here at BU. During the summer I work at a private Swim and Tennis club. My oldest is a Sophomore at Middlesex, my middle son is going to be a Senior and my youngest is starting Middle School. My life is full! I decided to go back and finish my degree, don't ask me what I want to be when I grow up because I still have no idea. I don't know how anyone can at my age never mind 18! I have a fear of water, almost drowned twice as a child but love the ocean. Crazy? There is something very calming and peaceful about it. I had to get over my fear a bit and learn to swim when I wanted my boys to not have the same fear I did. I have had to learn about a lot of science things I had no desire to learn about because when you have children and they are interested in learning about something, you do everything in your power to help them. Through learning with my children I did discover that I can enjoy science. I am excited to learn about new things in this class and share the knowledge with my boys.

Introduction

Hi Everyone,

My name is Katie; I grew up south of Boston and now live just north of the city so I have spent my whole life here in Massachusetts. I work a full time job in HR information systems not far from school in Newton. I have always had an interest in the environment and keeping it clean but I know little about the ocean in comparison to some of the other students in this class. I took this class to gain that knowledge I am lacking and learn more about the clean up specifically that occurring here is Boston. Most of my family grew up in South Boston and the surrounding towns so my whole life I have heard the horror stories of the old harbor. I also need the science credit and like the idea of the 7 day course - as well as being outside rather than stuck in the classroom all semester.

During the experiment yesterday I was in the second group of students that witnessed the drain go counter clockwise and the toilet flush the opposite way. I did not find this too surprising as I assumed that the reason for the toilet flushing was the jets installed in the toilet, but I also did not have any reason or explanation as to way the sink water drained counter clockwise, or if either of these may change based on location. When I began to research this I found that toilets do flush based on the way the water is pushed into the toilet and that the size of the toilet can also effect it but I also found a theory that does suggest that given the right environment that a toilet may flush in opposite directions based on its location in relation to the equator - this is referred to as the Coriolan theory. Based on the information I read it is still a bit unclear if this has actually been proven but the logic behind it seems to make sense to me now. I found my information at http://www.discovery.com/area/skinnyon/skinnyon970523/skinny1.html

See you all on Friday,
Katie Concannon

Hi everyone,

My name is Sabrina. I’m a rising senior at Tufts University and I’m a clinical psychology major. I’m taking this class because I’ve always loved the ocean (I dreamed about being a marine biologist when I was little) and yes, I need a science credit to graduate. I grew up in a suburb fifteen minutes outside Boston. I have four siblings, including a twin brother. I used to spend my summers on the ocean in mid-coast Maine, where my family has a house. Now I try to get up there for a few weeks every summer. The picture above is of me and my twin brother Owen on one of our boats in Maine. In Maine I canoe, kayak, sail, fish, and go out on our lobster boat. I am terrified of jellyfish because one time I had a really painful encounter with one, but whales are my favorite animals of all time. I have my scuba diving license and have gone diving in places like Aruba, Curacao, St. Thomas, Bermuda, and the Galapagos islands (my favorite). I’m excited to explore the Boston Harbor because although I’ve lived here my whole life I haven’t been around there much. I love going out to islands in Maine and am looking forward to seeing the islands around here. Besides the ocean, I also like skiing, soccer, traveling, and photography. Thanks, and see everyone in class!

As for the experiment:

When I went to the bathroom, I could not see the water drain from the sink, but everyone said that it went down clockwise. I did test the toilet for myself when the crowd cleared and it definitely flushed clockwise. If I could do it again, I would definitely observe the sink draining myself. I had heard before that toilets flush in the opposite direction in Australia, but I thought that it was a myth. Before I researched the question, I thought that the direction that water flows down a toilet depends on which direction the water comes from when you flush. As for the sink, I wasn’t so sure what would determine how it drained.

I went on to do some research here: http://www.discovery.com/area/skinnyon/skinnyon970523/skinny1.html. This website seemed reliable to me, because it is run by the discovery channel. The website confirmed that the way a toilet drains is determined by the direction that the water flows out below the rim of the toilet bowl. Toilets are way too small  to “exhibit Coriolan tendencies.” Apparently, “it takes a mass of air many miles in diameter to demonstrate the toilet twirl.” So I would say that yes, some toilets spin the same way in Australia as the one in the girls bathroom. Some don’t, because the water comes from a different direction underneath the toilet rim. It depends solely on the way that the toilet is built. The same goes for the sinks. I believe that the direction a sink drains depends on various factors, like if the sink bowl is slightly tilted in one direction or if the water is moving before one opens the drain. 

Observations from the experiment

My group observed that the sink drained in a counter clockwise rotation while the toilet drained clockwise. Contrary to Matt, I do not believe that anything was misinterpreted, but rather that the experiment was flawed. First, I believe that the toilet drained clockwise merely because the jets pushed the water in a clockwise rotation in order to create a strong enough vortex to flush things down the toilet. If the jets were not at an angle, the flush would probably splash and be much less smooth and much more messy. Therefore, I believe that the toilet is not comprable to the sink. However, I believe that the sink draines in a counter clockwise rotation because of the coriolis effect. the coriolis effect comes into play because the earths rotation exerts a force on the water, that when coupled with gravity, creates a vortex. Much in the same way that hurricanes are subject to the coriolis effect, I believe that this sink was as well. According to a blog http://blog.sciencegeekgirl.com/2008/04/06/myth-3-does-water-swirl-counter-clockwise-in-the-southern-hemisphere/ and other sources, MIT did a study on the coriolis effect by draining water from a basin and found that it consistantly drained counter clockwise. This study was done at MIT in cambridge (northern hemisphere) and I believe that it would be the opposite in the southern hemisphere. I was irritated to learn that scientists are still conflicted about this problem. The contested issue is how long the water must be at rest before the draining can begin. Because I see no strong evidence online to disprove the myth, I am going to stick with my gut and say that the water does indeed drain in opposite directions in the northern and southern hemispheres. All this could be wrong and Prof Berman could have lifted his hand out at an angle or something of that sort, but I'm assuming an uncontaminated experiment. Thanks Everyone

Introduction / Bathroom Observations

Hi All,

My name is Amir Farhadi, I'm going to be a senior at Tufts University, majoring in Classics and French Literature. I'm originally from Weston, a small town just west of Boston. I'm first generation Iranian on my father's side, and second generation Irish on my mother's side. I love to travel, and I spent my junior year abroad studying in Rome and Paris. I also love the ocean, which is why I decided to take this course. I spend my summers in the town of Dennis on Cape Cod. I also spent a summer living on Nantucket Island, and have traveled a lot (by boat) in the Mediterranean. Some of my earliest childhood memories are of searching through tide pools on the beach at the Cape, looking for sea creatures. I still love searching the beach for crabs at low tide.

As for our bathroom experiment, I made the following observations onsite: I could hardly see the sink from where I was standing, but even if I had been able to see it better, I don't think it would have been easy to tell which direction the water drained, owing to the small volume. As for the toilet, I was able to observe two flushes while in the ladies room, and I am fairly confident that the water drained clockwise. As for the question about toilets Down Under, I did some research online, and found a short and concise explanation of this phenomenon (or myth?) on the Library of Congress science reference website, of all places. In short, their answer to the question of whether toilets in Australia drain in a different direction than those in the Northern Hemisphere was: "probably not" which seems logical to me, since I would assume immediate factors like the volume of the liquid, diameter of drain, and of course the pressure and speed of the water and air, would have more of an effect on the direction of the water draining than the so called "Coriolis Effect" which is a result of the Earth's rotation. According to the website [http://www.loc.gov/rr/scitech/mysteries/coriolis.html] "The Coriolis force is simply too weak to affect such small bodies of water."

Introduction

Hi everyone,

My name is Mike Fallon and I am entering my senior year at Boston University. I have one older sister and I grew up in Belmont, Massachusetts. Living 20 minutes outside of the city and going to school in Boston has given me an appreciation for the city of Boston and Boston Harbor. For my high school community service requirements, I worked at a non-profit called the Boston Harbor Island Alliancehttp://www.islandalliance.org/index.asp. The Island Alliance works with groups like Save the Harbor Save the Bay to help keep Boston Harbor and the Harbor Islands clean and safe for both wildlife and citizens. While at the Island Alliance, I was able to visit many of the Harbor Islands such as Spectacle, Little Brewster, Long Island and others. These visits helped me to understand why people like Professor Berman work so hard to clean up the harbor and to protect its wildlife. As such, I thought it would be a lot of fun to take this course.

I also love sailing, boating, and fishing. I have a 40' CABO sportfish, a 36' Regulator, a 16' Hobie Cat, a 21' Novurania, and a really cool 14' beetle cat. here are some pittures of me catching a 9' hammerhead shark, a 50+lb dolphin, and me on my CABO.

Although I am not a great sailor, I am a pretty good boater. I was recently issued a Masters Inland Limited captains license and I am going for my 50 Ton Masters near coastal this winter! When I am not on the water, I enjoy playing golf, basketball, and football, as well as going out with friends, playing videogames, and eating. I am not a big blogger, so if I didn't do this right, please let me know and I'll work on it!

Luigi DiSisto Intro and Water Observations

Hi everybody my name is Luigi DiSisto and I am 19 years old and an undeclared undergrad at Merrimack College. I took this class because in high school, I took an environmental science class and LOVED it. I found every subject that was discussed in that class to be extremely interesting and important. Unfortunately, Merrimack does not offer any sort of an earth science program, so I decided to try and take some classes on the subject elsewhere, and if I am still interested, than possibly transfer and pursue the subject as a career. My favorite part of the class, and something that I have always been fascinated by is the ocean. I got my scuba diving certification in 2007 and since then have dove on every weekend possible during the summer. Last year, I took an amazing dive trip to Isla Roatan in Honduras, this year I dove in Bermuda, and for next summer I am planning another dive trip to Dominica. Other than scuba diving, i like to play hockey and I work part time on the weekends as a wedding DJ for an entertainment company.

When we went into the restroom I observed that the water in the sink drained counterclockwise and the water in the toilet drained clockwise. This confused me a little because I always thought that in the northern hemisphere the water was suppose to drain clockwise and in the southern hemisphere is was suppose to drain counterclockwise. I never really knew the specific details as to why, I just knew that was how it was suppose to work due to the Coriolis Effect. My idea was supported by the definition of the Coriolis Effect on this website: http://www.answers.com/topic/coriolis-effect: "The observed effect of the Coriolis force... rightward in the northern hemisphere and leftward in the southern hemisphere." But after that I read this section of an article that caught my attention from http://www.weatherimagery.com/blog/water-spin-down-drain/: "The fact is, the Coriolis force (an apparent force as a result of the Earth’s spin) has virtually nothing to do with which direction water spins as it empties down a drain. Although this force is “real” and does have an affect on other large, long-lived systems that travel great distances (such as hurricanes, high and low pressure systems, and long range artillery shells), water draining from toilets, sinks, and bathtubs are rendered virtually immune from its affects. The Coriolis force is much too weak to have any affect on such small, short-lived rotating bodies of water under normal conditions." After carefully reading both websites, I came to the conclusion that the second site must be correct due to my observations in the bathroom. Though I do believe that the Coriolis Effect would have an effect on other, larger, things, after seeing what happened in the bathroom (and re-testing it in my own home and getting that the water in the sink went clockwise and the water in the toilet went counterclockwise) I cannot really believe that there is anything other than pipe diameter or the amount of water in the sink/toilet that controls the direction in which it spins down the drain. Having never been to Australia, I would have to assume that the same applies there.


-Luigi DiSisto

Bathroom Observations:

The water in the sink drained in a counter-clockwise direction, while the water in the toilet drained in the clockwise direction.

I believe we misinterpreted the results of our experiment, and that the water should have drained in the same direction in both instances. One possible explanation that could explain this inconsistency could be the pressure differences caused by unequal pipe diameter.
This assumption is only valid if the quantities of water are relatively equal (roughly 1 gallon for each).

I came to that conclusion based on my knowledge of physics, where one Volume (X) of water exits through an opening of diameter (D) compared to a similar Volume (X) of water that exits through a smaller opening (D/2). In this instance, there is greater pressure within the pipe that has a smaller diameter, which could influence the rotation of the exiting water. Although, this is just a theory.

A more likely explanation for our observation is that there was no difference in rotation; we simply misinterpreted the results.

After reviewing several online sources concerning toilet water rotation in the northern and southern hemispheres, the term "Coriolis Force" kept popping up. According to one site, Snopes.com, the Coriolis Force "affects only large things, such as air masses, but not smaller things, like the direction of toilet bowl water" when it is flushed; the same goes for sinks.

Truthfully, I have heard myths about toilet bowl water in Australia draining in the opposite direction that it does in the U.S. Having never been to Australia, I cannot confirm or deny this claim.

For now, i will have to settle with online sources that say there is no difference in toilet or sink water rotation between the Northern and Southern hemispheres.

-Matt Heim

My Introduction...

My favorite local surfspot, Pikes Beach (Westhampton, NY)

Hi all,

My name is Matt Heim and I am currently an undergraduate student at BU in the Health Science program within Sargent College. At the conclusion of my junior year (this past spring) i decided to enroll in a summer class that, although i do love science, wouldn't involve Physics, Chemistry, Human Anatomy or Physiology; a refreshing break from my typical science regimen. During my search for an engaging summer course, a close friend recommended Snails to Whales as an interesting, field trip oriented, hands-on learning experience. How could i resist?

(Picture above and right is me pulling in a "victim" during the line-pull event at the Town of Southampton Interbeach Lifeguard Tournament)

I grew up in the town of Westhampton Beach on Long Island, New York. As an avid boater, surfer, ocean lifeguard and fisherman, I spend as much time as possible on the water; the ocean is like my second home. I own a 24' Regulator Center Console fishing boat that i use to fish for Tuna, Striped Bass, Bluefish, Fluke and other native species of fish. When the fish aren't biting, I take to the waves on my 7'1'' Robert August surfboard. Because the ocean is such an important aspect of my life, I felt that this class would be especially relevant.

Looking forward to the remaining 6 Snails to Whales adventures!

-Matt Heim

Harbor Class Ted Williamson bathroon experiment observation

Here is my observation of the infamous "bathroon experiment"



"The Sink"

Observation:

-The lighting was good

-Standing in the back to allow shorter people in front

-About 1 gallon of water filled in sink then drained

-Water flow drained slowly and appeared to drain clockwise



"The Toilet"

Observation:

- Lighting was not as good

- I was up front as I was chosen as the person to flush for my team (lucky me)

- Approx 5 gallons of water in toliet

- Water flow was fast and was confident the water went clockwise (unitl I did it again at home..) I could not help it, I had to test again. It went counter clockwise - Wierd!



Theory:

I like most people had the thought that water went in a different direction noth of the equator than south of the equator based on the gravitational pull of the earth. I looked up a few websites and confirmed that the "coriolis effect" did determine that a smaller conatiner of water, like a sink, would be influenced by the gravity pull of the earth. But the tolet was different.



This website explained it the best:

http://www.ems.psu.edu/~fraser/Bad/BadCoriolis.html



It explained that water from a toilet flowed differently because of the force from the water water flowing into the toilet under the rim was greater than the "coriolis effect". I assume this would be the case in Australia as well.



Thanks

Ted

Ted Williamson 1st post

Hello All

My name is Ted Williamson and this is my fist blog post ever. I am kind of a anti face book guy because I am one of those people that want to leave their shaddy past behind me LOL.

I grew up south of Boston in the town of Braintree as on of 12 children (Irish Catholic) in an old victorian home with one bathroom - so I know how to share.

I work selling beverages, 15 years at Coca-Cola and now 6 years at Nesle Waters (Poland Spring and other brands in New England). I hope I don't look that old but it sounds old as I'm writing this... I will Bring some samples for the class!

I now live in Pembroke MA about 35 miles south of Boston with My wife of 15 years, Jessica and my two boys, Drew 12 and Daniel 10 and my 3 year old Boxer/Basset Otis.

When we moved to Pembroke my children found themselves surrounded by ponds and only a few miles from the ocean. My kids loved to discover the wildlife around them including bugs, worms, salamanders, crayfish, crabs, shrimp and sand eels. Then we got into fishing - sunfish, bass and pickeral in the ponds and later ocean fishing.

"Danny age 5 with a large mouth bass"

I bought a 1986 Boston Whaler classic sport a few years ago to explore the noth river out of Scituate and the Harbor. We love it and my dog enjoys eating hermit crabs...

Here is my oldest Drew with his first stripped bass keeper 30 inches!

I am persuing a bachelors degree and have been taking clases part time for about 8 years. I hope to graduate before my son. I hope this will be my first class I will truly enjoy. So far so good.

Ted

My Intro:

Hi,
What's the difference between a Jazz musician and a Blues musician? A Blues musician plays three chords in front of a thousand people; a Jazz musician plays a thousand chords in front of three people. badump bump. I'm here for the next week try the haddock stay away from the veal. My name is Joe Santosuosso, I'm married to a wonderful gal and we are expecting our first baby September the second. We have a dog called daisy; my wife and daisy boss me around endlessly. I can’t wait for the baby so he can boss me around too. At least it won’t be two girls bossing me around.

I grew up next to a marsh, some of my fondest memories as a child have been in the marshes and low lying swamps in Saugus Mass. and the North Shore, I've moved around a lot living in California and New York. I have never been too far from the water always close enough that I could throw a stone to a river like the Hudson or an ocean like the Pacific in the few places I have lived. My wife is jealous as hell that I'm taking this class she has been sailing her whole life with her family and she loves the water. As for me, I’m not much of a sailor but love to sail. I like the water and one of my favorite beaches in the world is Cranes beach.

My observation of the sink was just the fact that I took everyone Else's word for it. They all said it was clockwise rotation. I have to say I was too far away from the sink portion of the experiment. As for the toilet part of the experiment I definitely saw the water moving in a clockwise fashion. From what I remember in my childhood recollections and various people’s opinion is that because we are on different sides of the equator and the spinning axis of the earth is why it spins in different directions.

After researching a bit you can view a pretty neat you tube video click here . Wow I found a very interesting article on the Guardian website whereas people had a lot of varying and legitimate ideas, you guys should check it out click here and here is an excerpt (taken without permission from Britannica) it actually says that at the bottom of the page about the cariolis effect click here There seems to be as many theories as there are people. So my final take on it is that it's an illusion and depending on the structure and the tilt of the bowl we can have different turning effects.

"Why Does Water Going down a Plughole Spin in One Direction in the Northern Hemisphere and in the Other Direction in the Southern? Which Way (if Any) Does It Spin on the Equator? Also Are There Any Planets Which Don''t Spin? Notes and Queries Guardian.co.uk." Latest News, Comment and Reviews from the Guardian Guardian.co.uk. Web. 27 July 2010. .

YouTube - The Coriolis Force. YouTube - Broadcast Yourself. Web. 27 July 2010. .

"Coriolis Effect." Mac OS X Server. Web. 27 July 2010. .

Joseph Santosuosso

Alex Beach Introductory Post

Good Morning everyone. There is a lot of pressure on me for posting first but I guess that's what I get for checking email at 8am. I apologize in advance if anyone uses my format and gets a bad grade.

My name is Alex Beach. I grew up in the City of Ithaca in upstate New York. Ithaca is located in the Finger Lakes region of NY which I find somewhat relevant to our study of the Harbor Islands in that the same general forces shaped both geologic features. If you are really bored at work reading this post feel free to check out this brief summary of the Finger Lakes and why "Ithaca is Gorges" from the Paleontological Research Institution. Growing up in such a geologically unique area, I quickly fostered a sense of excitement and curiosity about nature. You would too if grew up ten minutes from the tallest waterfall east of the Rockies, and I'm not talking about Niagara. However, I did not step foot in the ocean until a family vacation to the Outer Banks in North Carolina when I was eleven (unless you count a 7 year old me who naively thought that Cayuga Lake was the Atlantic and that I could see Africa across on the opposite shore).

I graduated from Boston University in 2009 with a degree in Science Education. In five weeks I will be starting the masters in Earth Science program at the University of New Hampshire. My research topics will include mechanisms for rapid climate change, determining ancient ocean temperatures by analyzing sediments, and some advocacy work with public policy groups such as Carbon Solutions New England. Currently I am work for BU and since they let me take free classes I figured "why not?". As a future educator and advocate for science literacy I feel that it is very important to see science in action, out in the field. It's one thing to talk about the the geologic features or the ecology of an area in the classroom, and quite another to actually go out and experience those things for yourself. And frankly, spending a week exploring the islands in the summer is much more enticing than sitting in my office.

As for our first field trip/assignment: I witnessed the water in the sink spinning counterclockwise down the drain and the water in the toilet spinning clockwise down the drain. The fact that the water spun in opposite directions is not an issue. I am sure that at BU alone we could find sinks and toilets that spun in both directions. Same goes for those in Australia. The popular myth about this fact is that the Coriolis Effect would cause all the water in the Northern Hemisphere to spin clockwise and counterclockwise in the Southern Hemisphere. This is a pretty good hypothesis for someone first exploring this issue. You take a proven physical phenomenon and apply it to the situation in question to see if it can verify your hypothesis. This is the scientific method in a nutshell. It is also perfectly acceptable science when your original hypothesis proves to be untrue, as in our case. The Coriolis Effect arises because different points on the surface of the Earth are traveling at different speeds through space. If you were to stand on the North pole (rotational, not magnetic) you would spin about your axis but not move laterally. Contrast that to standing on the equator where you would need to travel the entire circumference of the planet in 24 hours. The Coriolis Effect becomes more pronounced over large distances (like pole to equator) and negligible over incredibly short distances (like the diameter of a toilet bowl). The direction that water is introduced to a sink/toilet and the geometry of the container will determine which direction it flows, regardless of position on the planet.

Why the two groups saw opposite results is a bit more puzzling. The only reason I can think of that we as a class were not as observant as we should have been and Professor Berman was doing this to make a point. I was one of the closest people to the sink and could not tell which direction the water was spinning. Professor Berman said that it was spinning counterclockwise and we all agreed, even though most (if not all of us) could not see for ourselves. Perhaps he said the opposite for the first group and that is why they all believed it was spinning in the other direction. While this conspiracy can be viewed as a veiled demonstration of some Milgram Experiment principles (i.e. blindly listening to authority) and a lesson to be more observant in this course, it would also serve as a detriment to the team trust and group responsibility values that Professor Berman stressed. Because of this conflict I am left without a clear answer to this problem and await my classmates' posts to shed more light on the situation.

Until Friday.

-Alex Beach

The Sounds of Spectacle Island

One of the best things about summertime for me is the chance to share my favorite places on Boston Harbor with my students at Boston University and my summer staff at Save the Harbor / Save the Bay.

The beach at Spectacle Island has always been one of my favorite spots because of the remarkable views, and the enormous amount of artifacts like pottery and sea glass that quite literally litter the shore of this island that was a dump for centuries before we transformed it into a destination.

If you listen closely to this clip you can actually hear the pottery and glass being tossed in the surf.

I hope you will take some time this summer to visit Spectacle island - and have hotdog or a lobster roll at Jasper Whites Summer Shack snack bar - which is now open on Spectacle, and should be open soon on Georges Island as well.

This August, thanks to a generous grant from Mass Humanities and the support of Save the Harbor's other youth program funders and partners, we are going to introduce hundreds of Boston area youth to archaeology and our region's history with a new program we call the "Treasures of Spectacle Island".

If you want to see Boston Harbor through their young eyes, visit the SH/SB youth blog "Sea, Sand and Sky" at http://shsbkids.blogspot.com/

For more ideas about great things to do on Boston Harbor this summer, become a fan of SH/SB's Boston Harbor activities and events page on facebook

See you on Boston Harbor

Bruce

Hands Across the Sand

I hope that all of you will take a few minutes on Saturday at noon to join hands with your friends, family and neighbors on your favorite beach and help us draw a line in the sand against expanded offshore drilling and in support of clean energy

You can find out more on Massachusetts beaches at "Hands Across the Sand".

Lion's Mane - Take 2

Yesterday my friend Dave came by to let me know that he had spotted another Lion's Mane jelly at Constitution Marina. Because the tide was slack, it was still there when I arrived.

These Lion's Manes were about twice the size as the ones we saw over Memorial Day weekend - probably because theey have been feasting on Moon Jelly's - which are always abundant in the Harbor at this time of the year.

In this picture you can see that the Lion's Mane has snared a Moon Jelly.

In this picture you can see several smaller Moon Jellys trapped in the "oral arms" of the Lion's Mane.

The specimens I have seen in the Harbor seem to be getting larger - it will be interesting to see just how big they get. The largest reported Lion's Mane jelly - from Mass Bay -

has a bell of over 7 feet in diameter!

The Lion's Mane's sting is pretty painful - If you are stung, seek medical advice at once.

Moon Jellyfish are relatively harmless to humans - though they

can cause a small rash or reaction in very sensitive people.

My advice is to never pick up anything you can't identify

That's why I carry a copy of Peterson's Field Guide to the Atlantic Seashore or
the Audubon Society's Field Guide to North American Seashore Creatures
whenever I explore the shore.

See you on the Harbor

Bruce Berman

Lion's Mane

You know by now that I am the BayWatcher for Save the Harbor / Save the Bay, and that I teach Boston Harbor history and marine science at Boston University.

You probably don't know that I am also an avid fan of Sherlock Holmes - so when I began to get reports of Lion's Mane jellyfish in the Harbor, I was a bit concerned. I had a mental image of primordial monsters, lurking in tidal pools attacking unwary visitors to Boston Harbor this Memorial day weekend - probably inspired by this illustration:
If you recall, Holmes deduced that this fantastic creature was responsible for a mysterious - and agonizing - death in the classic short story by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle "The Lions Mane".

After a couple of calls (to the MWRA's senior scientist Dr. Andrea Rex, and the New England Aquarium's Dr. Billy Spitzer) I concluded that the two small (6-8 inch diameter bell) jellys reported to me - one by a thoughtful and observant ranger in the Harbor Islands National Park, and another by a reliable and experienced marine mechanic with 50 years on the water - were in fact small Lion's Mane jellyfish.

A little research led me to discover that Lion's Mane Jelly's are not that unusual in Mass Bay, though somewhat rare in Boston Harbor in my experience.

In fact, according to the often reliable and extraordinarily convenient Wikipedia, the largest recorded Lion's Mane washed up on shore in Massachusetts Bay in 1870 - and had a bell diameter of 7 feet 6 inches. That's one big jellyfish.

Here's a picture of a smaller one - and a link to the Wikipedia entry on the subject

Lion's Mane do sting, and though they are not particularly toxic - as far as jellyfish stings go - though some people can have a nasty allergic reaction to the Lion's Mane sting.

(If you do get stung, experts advise that you rinse the affected are with water. If you have an allergic reaction seek medical attention, or at least check out webmd.com)

Dr. Rex sent me a link to a great old book Seaside Studies in Natural History written by Elizabeth Agassiz (wife of Louis) and Alexander Agassiz (son of Louis) in 1865 on the marine animals of Massachusetts Bay.

They describe the Cyanea arctica (Lion’s Mane) in detail, including the effect of its sting.

Here's a copy of a really interesting woodcut done by Alexander too, which accompanies the text at Google Books.


Lion's Mane Jelly's have been around for a long time, and given the recent northeast winds and it makes sense that they would make their way into the harbor from time to time - especially if currents are happening to move this way as well.

My advice?

Don't panic if you see one in the water or on the shore - just leave it alone. And don't get into a tide pool with a seven foot jellyfish.

Have a great Memorial Day. See you on Boston Harbor.

Bruce

PS. Don't forget to check out Save the Harbor's Boston Harbor events and activities page on facebook.

Additional evidence.

Here is some additional evidence that there are indeed striped bass under my boat at Constitition Marina on Boston Harbor at the mouth of the Charles River.

SNAIL'S TALES: Do snails grow on trees?

I want to thank my friend and fellow nature blogger Aydin Orstan for posting this on his great - and extremely rational - blog at Snails Tales.

SNAIL'S TALES: Do snails grow on trees?

If you are interested in these tree climbing snails, you can find more about them by searching this blog.

Meanwhile, on Boston Harbor...

Here is some evidence that both the bait...

and the Striped Bass

have arrived at the mouth of the Charles River.

You can see more images (often live) at
http://www.bostonharbor.com/webcam.html

Drill, Baby, Drill!

I thought you might enjoy this thoughtful
and reasoned argument in favor of offshore drilling. I know I did!

It Could Happen Here - And It Has

Oil spills of the magnitude that we are seeing in the Gulf of Mexico are relatively rare - but it doesn't take 5,000 barrels a day to destroy the environment.

Serious spills do happen here, On Cape Cod, in Boston Harbor, and in Nantucket Sound. Remember the Argo Merchant, which broke apart off Massachusetts in 1976.


We need to remember the lessons we have learned - or we will repeat the mistakes we have made. Take a look at this recent article in the Boston Herald - to refresh your memory.

State has seen share of spills