Consider a solid sphere (capable of withstanding full vacuum) of 3m diameter filled completely with water resting at sea level. It has a 10cm hole at the bottom with a cork on it. If you open the cork, what is the time taken for water to completely drain out.

What happens for higher diameter spheres?

With a 10cm hole, any large size sphere (def large is dia. >>10cm) would not have the water "just fall all out" as others have noted (like an inverted hemisphere).  Therefore, air would have to find it's way in past the falling water.  10cm is way too large for surface tension or viscosity to hold things back in (for water anyway).  Therefore I vote that this problem is not solvable without some trick - and then it does not belong in "Science".

 

Posted by Kenny M on 2006-12-10 18:47:19