Tuesday, 31 March 2009
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Myth Busted!! Toilets Do Not Flush In The Opposite Direction In Australia
We've all heard this urban myth. If you were to flush a toilet in the northern hemisphere, the water would flow down clockwise. And when you travel down to the southern hemisphere and flush the toilet, the water would go down counterclockwise. This is simply not true which kind of disappoints me. I wanted to see for myself when I visit Australia in the future.
The theory is based on something called the Coriolis Effect, which if I were to explain here would put you to sleep. Let me just say that on a large scale, objects such as wind and airmasses, appear to spin in opposite directions in the northern and southern hemisphere based on the rotation of the earth.
When it comes to toilets, they are simply too small to display this effect. It's the jets of water filling your bowl or the shape of the drain that determines how your toilets flush, not which hemisphere you live in.
Have you heard of this myth? If so, did you believe it?
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About the Author
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- From: dannyb0y@xanga
- Name: Dan
- Location: California, United States
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Comments (19)
I've heard of it, but having never been far enough south to see for myself...
I'm kind of disappointed, that was one of the things I've always wanted to see!
I've heard of it, but the last (and only) time I was in the southern hemisphere, I forgot to check. It never made much sense to me either, I thought it was dependent on the toilet bowl design as well.
I'm pretty sure the water doesn't even "swirl"... it just gets swallowed and down the pipe it goes...
I demand video evidence, timestamped, and with a notarized certificate from the PM of Australia as proof.
Ahh...good ol' Coriolis effect. I knew about this being the extreme nerd I am.
Anyway, be glad that by opposite direction they didn't mean the toilets flushsed upwards...though I'm certain that would be more noticable, haha.
I've seen a video of it spinning in the other direction before and believed it.
Then I noticed an old toilet spinning in the same direction so I was disappointed.
I heard it and believed it til I saw it debunked on some other site.
Awww... I totally believed this. Booo!
that's sad. :( I've travelled around the northern hemisphere a few times, but never made it down south. I was looking forward to that! (you know...it's the little things in life...)
Whatever, it's real. In the Simpsons, the US embassy had American toilets that mechanically flushed the opposite direction. I'm going to believe everything from The Simpsons like Wikipedia.
@freeforming@xanga - i'm the same as you:(
I really believed it too. Darn Simpsons.
Hahaha.. interesting facts.
You're right, it doesn't work in such a small thing as a toilet. Even in the US, the water can go either way.
By the way, water doesn't go straight down on the equator line, either :o)
Are you sure? When I was in Japan I SWEAR TO GAWD the toilet water went the other way. I think I even pointed it out to my friend. Dang. Shoulda video taped it. Maybe there's a video on youtube?
Well i live in New Zealand which is under Australia& mine goes clockwise. I'd never taken notice until today haha.
I'm pretty disappointed actually "/
Australian toilets don't swirl anyway, do they? That's what I heard anyway.
Well that ruined my next trip to Australia! lol.
I am from Australia,
we have toilets that can flush either way,