Talk:Heron's fountain
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Let me applaud the original author for the initiative to create this page. Much appreciated!
The description of construction and operation start seems to be somewhat incorrect. First the initial list item says to start with a basin of water. I believe that initially the basin should be empty. It will eventually fill with water from the fountain flask but should not initially be constructed that way. I think that this should say to build the fountain with this basin empty. Start the fountain by pouring water into this basin after it has been constructed.
The description of how to start the fountain also seems reversed to me but I may be misunderstanding the intention of the prose from the original author. I can't quite parse the sentence grammar but as I read it the meaning is to suck air out of the air connection between the two flasks. I read sucking air out as creating negative relative pressure. However in operation that connection will be under positive relative pressure. It is this positive pressurization that forces the water out of the fountain flask. Also to start the fountain simply add water to the open basin allowing it to pressurize the air connection between the flasks and starting the fountain.
Pending further discussion here (in case I am reading this completely incorrectly, in which case welcome correction) I plan on returning and making these changes. Or if others agree then they should simply make this change when they find this discussion.
(Unsigned comment from 216.17.153.62 on 01:51, 9 July 2007)
[edit] reasoning for stopping looks incorrect
I don't think it is properly understood why this stops flowing once the bottom flask has filled. More water does not go down than is fountained out.
Instead the linking air pipe makes the two flasks function as if they were level with each other. What makes the water fountain out is the difference in water-column height between the lower flask and the upper flask.
- The column of the lower flask is from the top of the pool to the bottom of the pipe.
- The column of the upper flask is from the fountain opening to the bottom of the pipe.
If the upper flask has much more water volume than the lower flask and does not drain by the time the lower flask has filled, then the water will stop flowing once the lower flask has filled and water has risen sufficiently far up the air pipe to balance out this difference in water column height between the two flasks.
The water will not climb up the air tube to match the height of the large pool because the weight of the water column standing in the fountain pipe will prevent it from rising to pool level.
If the upper flask drains of water and the upper fountain tube fills with air, then water will climb up the air tube to match the water height in the pool and stop, since there is no longer a column of water standing in the fountain tube to prevent it from reach the pool's level.
Heh, I should ask the chemistry department if I could make a little youtube video..
