Why when you try to pour water from one cup to another the water falls back?

Question

Why when you try to pour water from one cup to another the water falls back?

In: Physics

Answer 1

Okay, imagine you’re pouring water from one cup to another. Water is kind of like a little acrobat trying to jump from one cup to the other. But sometimes, it doesn’t jump perfectly.

Here’s why:
– **Sticky Water**: Water likes to stick to things, even to the cup it’s being poured from. This is like how honey sticks to a spoon.
– **Slippery Slide**: When the water doesn’t jump perfectly into the other cup, it slides back down the side of the first cup, just like how you might slide down a slide if you don’t jump far enough.

So, some water ends up running down the side of the first cup because it’s sticking to it and sliding down, just like honey or syrup would.