If i had multiple buckets of water connected to one tube thats being dripped through gravity, will they lose water at the same rate if they started at different water level (amount of water in the buckets) or will they lose water so that they all will have the same amount of water in them at any given time? or somethine else entirely
In: Physics
If there is not a significant resistance to the flow of water through the tube the water level of all will be identical. If they lose water at the same rate, it will depend on their relative elevation and shape. It is called [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Communicating_vessels](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Communicating_vessels)
If they are at the same elevation and shape they lose water at the same rate.
If the shape and elevation differ the rate at which they lose water will differ. The water level will be identical and the water loss rate will be what results in equal water level change in all vessels
All of this assumes the are containers with open tops so air can flow in freely lite a bucket. If you have an enclosed container like an upside-down soda bottle it will be more complicated because water will only flow out if air can flow in or the water column is more then 10 meters tall and a vacuum can be formed ontop. It is the atmospheric air pressure that keep the water in.
If the buckets, tubes, and connections are assumed to be identical, the more full bucket will lose water faster out of the tube. The flow rate in the tube is dependent on the pressure from the water above the tube (and the pressure of the atmosphere, but since that pressure is equal between both buckets it can be disregarded): more water -> more pressure -> higher flow. Even though it has more flow at that moment, the water level will never “catch up” to the other bucket.
if you have multiple buckets draining through the same pipe and the pipe cant support the flow required to drain all 3 buckets st the same time, they should self level,
but the devil is in the exact details of the setup
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