Why does a liquid not spill off a straw…?

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Why does a liquid not spill when you hold down the upper end of a straw while taking it out of a glass? Hoping that is self explanatory. Thanks.

In: Physics

3 Answers

Anonymous 0 Comments

One thing to note is the presence of atmospheric pressure. Thats the air all around you and it bears weight and acts similarly to water so it will fill empty spaces as water does. It’s a fluid.

When you cover the top of the straw, it ensures no air/atmospheric pressure can affect the top of the straw or enter that way. Thus when you pull the straw out, the liquid will stay in the straw because the atmospheric pressure acts upward on the water that’s supposed to fall out of the straw. When you release your covering from the top part, atmospheric pressure fills the top and pushes the water out.

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