The idea that water will drain in different directions in the Northern and Southern hemispheres because of the Coriolis Effect is untrue. The Coriolis Effect is a consequence of the Earth's rotational patterns, which does cause hurricanes to twist in different directions in the Northern and Southern hemispheres, but it does not affect the way water drains in sinks, tubs or showers. Water can drain clockwise or counterclockwise in either hemisphere. Differences in the way water drains are caused by the flow of water into a receptacle, as well as the receptacle's shape.
More about water and the Coriolis Effect:
- Gaspard Gustav de Coriolis, an engineer, first wrote about the Coriolis Effect in 1835.
- Water in toilets swirls out of the toilet in the direction in which it entered the toilet.
- The Coriolis Effect is credited with drawing hurricanes away from the equator.
