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Anonymous Poster

Raindrops

11/02/2006 6:04 AM

Why do raindrops falling on a window pane not always down straight?

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Guru
United Kingdom - Member - Olde Member!! Engineering Fields - Instrumentation Engineering - New Member

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#1

Re: Raindrops

11/02/2006 6:44 AM

Perhaps the wind has something to do with it??

John.

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Guru
Engineering Fields - Electrical Engineering - New Member

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#2

Re: Raindrops

11/02/2006 10:29 AM

It's because the windows are dirty, and not perfectly flat. Water adheres to the glass and travels in the direction of least resistance, which is a zigzag motion.

Also, water is a light weight liquid - compare the movement of paint which falls in straight(er) lines, and the behavior of tiny droplets of atomized water such as fog, which do not move at all.

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Anonymous Poster
#3

Re: Raindrops

11/03/2006 5:09 PM

Also of note, Glass is hydrophobic, but very minute deposits of hydrophilic materials like salt can create a preferential path where there is less resistance to move sideways a little, than straigth down.

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Guru

Join Date: Feb 2006
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#4

Re: Raindrops

11/18/2006 4:59 PM

There are certain reasons as explained by other friends:

1. Surface of pane is not smooth & inclined @ presise angle & may have some twist in it. Pnes are not precisely aligned for vertical & horizontal erection.

2. Due to deposite of dust not only loose but also deposited on surface.

3. Wind is varying in speed, direction & twists it is taking.

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