You’ve discovered a phenomenon that seems to violate the laws of physics. I have a question about how to get water out of a situation where a drain that is higher than the floor is preventing it from draining. In this blog, we’ll learn about the physics of using plastic bottles to empty drains.
Experiment with draining water from a plastic bottle
The water is not draining properly because the drain pipe is sticking up higher than the floor. How do you remove water from this situation? Some may think that pouring water directly down the drain is necessary, but this is not true. Fill a cut plastic bottle with water to cover the drain and you’ll be amazed at what you see. The water around the bottle is sucked into the bottle and fills it completely, after which it is automatically discharged through the drain without any additional devices.
Why is this happening? This phenomenon is due to the siphon principle, which follows the laws of physics. When you pour water into a plastic bottle and cover the drain, the water in the bottle is connected to the surrounding water. When the water in the bottle rises above the water level above the drain, it is pushed out, creating a pressure difference and a continuous flow of liquid, which in turn sucks the surrounding water into the drain. This interesting siphoning principle is similar to that of the bowl, also known as the Pythagorean cup or the cup of greed. It’s similar to how a bowl won’t overflow if you fill it halfway, but will overflow if you fill it completely.
The science behind how to drain water from above-floor drains
Understanding the siphon principle
It seems to defy the laws of physics. Drain pipes that protrude higher than the floor prevent water from draining properly. How do you remove water from this situation? Some may think that manually pouring water down the drain is necessary, but it’s not. By filling a rubber bottle with water and covering the drain, you can witness an amazing phenomenon. The water around the bottle is drawn into the bottle, fills it completely, and then drains automatically through the drain without any additional devices. Why is this happening? This phenomenon is due to the siphon principle, a law of physics. If you pour water into a plastic bottle and cover the drain, the water in the bottle is connected to the surrounding water. As the water in the bottle rises above the drain, it is pushed out, creating a pressure difference and a continuous flow of liquid, which sucks the surrounding water into the drain.
This mysterious siphon principle is similar to the Pythagorean cup, also known as the cup of greed. A Pythagorean cup won’t overflow if it’s half full, but will overflow if it’s full.
Experience the wonders of physics
You can see that the water is not draining properly due to the drain pipe sticking up higher than the floor. How do you remove water from this situation? Some might think that you should pour the water directly down the drain, but that’s not actually the case. Fill a cut plastic bottle with water and cover the drain, and you’ll be amazed at what happens. The water around the bottle is sucked into the bottle, filling it completely, and then automatically drains out through the drain without the need for a separate device. Why is this happening? This happens because of the siphon principle, a law of physics. When you pour water into a plastic bottle and cover the drain, the water in the bottle is connected to the surrounding water. When the water in the bottle rises above the drain, it is expelled, creating a pressure difference and a continuous flow of liquid, which eventually sucks the surrounding water into the drain. This mysterious siphon principle is similarly at work in the Pythagorean Goblet, the Goblet of Greed. It’s similar to how a bowl won’t overflow if you fill it halfway, but will overflow if you fill it completely.
If you want to visually experience pressure differences and the flow of liquids, try this interesting experiment for yourself!
Summary (TL;DR)
Following the laws of physics, you can visually experience the flow of liquids and pressure differences through experiments with plastic bottles and drains. The siphon principle is one of the most fascinating physics phenomena, whereby surrounding water is sucked into a bottle and drained out.
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