Free fall, or lack of gravity, pull the mass to the center of the bigger
mass's gravity, in this case, the center of the earth. Suppose the
planet is not spinning, then it doesn't matter the location of the water
to be +n or -n from the equator, read here "higher velocity surface
point", where "n" is a reference to the "hand" rotation speed and
direction.

With the planet spinning, it creates the +n and -n reference to the
highest speed surface point (equator), a free fall in this situation
would generate a long and delicate curve. This effect is also
pronnounced by the fact that the portion of the same water close to the
equator is faster than the opposite.

Even the water in a cup, the side of the cup towards the equator has a
bigger "n" independent to the "n" signal (+or-) what means few
millimeters per hour of difference. In a free fall it tends to rotate
since the +n and -n reference to the speed is lost and that speed
diference is transformed in kinetic energy.

Of course it is a joke, since toilete flushes according to the direction
of the water vents, not because the earth equator's related position,
but if you take a large perfect round tank with stable water and just
open a perfect drain hole at the bottom, after some time it would
generate a rotation, and its is not randomic. There are some
calculations (I am not expert on this) to reach the different speeds of
rotation according to the height of the water column, faster close to
the hole.

I wonder what would happens to this effect if the planet was a spinning
cylinder, not a sphere, when all the curved surface would be at the same
rotational speed...  at least we would have a better map. :)

Wagner

Greg Brault wrote:

> Actually, that's a common misconception... the water does not flush
> opposite ways north/south of equator.
>
> Greg