Consider a bucket of water with two holes of equal area through which water is discharged. The water can flow out through hole ( B ), at the bottom, or through the down-spout, which begins at the top ( T ) and has its opening the same distance below the water level as the center of hole ( B).

  \-------------------------/
   \                       /
    \                     /__
     \                  T/--+|
      \                 /   ||
       \               /    ||
    ____\             /     ||
    -----\B          /      ||
          \---------/

Ignoring any friction effects, out of which opening will the water flow faster, and why?

siddesh gives an answer, Leming explains it, but theoretically, in my opinion, more water will flow through T.
I fully agree with above commenters that the water flow is a function of pressure differential at the outlet points (Considering all other influencing properties the same). 
Why then more water through T?
If the atmospheric pressure integrated over B is higher then over T, then it is solved.  Now that is indeed the fact, atmospheric pressure is not a linear function.  The total force above the center of B is lower then half of the force at T's outlet, but that will be more then compensated by the larger force in the lower half of B .

Hey, I said "In theory..."

Posted by Hugo on 2006-09-28 16:04:56