What Causes the ‘Drip’ of a Leak?

When a leak drips, it's like when you slowly let the water out of a cup. Water doesn’t all fall at once, it falls in little drops. This happens because gravity pulls the water down, but sometimes it needs a push to get started. Once one drop falls, it gives the next one just enough nudge to fall too.

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Examples

A leak in your bathroom floor slowly drops water onto the tile one drop at a time.
A soda bottle left open for hours will drip water out instead of spraying it all over.
Water from a broken faucet falls in slow, rhythmic drops instead of a stream.

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Categories: Physics · fluid dynamics,gravity,leaks,physics of everyday life,liquid flow