Eli5, how does siphoning liquid from a low point over a high point and then to a low point again work.

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Eli5, how does siphoning liquid from a low point over a high point and then to a low point again work.

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Think of the hose you would be using as a closed system. When you suck on one end the only way to equalize the suction is to draw some liquid from your source into the hose.

Now if the hose is full and you unblock one side the liquid will be held in the tube (like a drinking straw if you put a finger over one end) if you open both sides as the liquid falls out it will “pull” in air to replace the liquid. This pulling of air creates a vacuum and if you put the end of the hose in a liquid it would use that same vacuum to pull liquid into the tube.

So now we have a closed system that is “pulling” liquid into it and is letting gravity “push” the liquid down. You only need to provide the suction at the start because once the liquid is flowing the closed system can not equalize until you lose the vacuum in the tube or gravity runs out. Does that make sense?

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