butters
High on a Hill
- Joined
- Jul 2, 2009
- Posts
- 86,323
So, today, I decided to have a soak as my healing broken little toe was complaining. A big old log had slipped down onto it as I moved wood indoors a couple of weeks back and apart from the initial pain it's been pretty numb till now.
Anyway: reclining in the tub, eyes too heavy to read the book I'd meant to, I could hear the tap dripping but couldn't be bothered to move to stop it. Then I began to wonder if Sherlock could determine how long the person had been in the bath from the sound of the drips... i.e, did the temperature of the water partially determine the sound the drips made?
This was going on in my mind, broadening to how the bath water temperature might affect the appearance of the body (wrinkling—I start around 20 minutes of being submerged, redder skin, the settling of blood to lowest bodily parts etc...,) and how a murderer might attempt to distract from the actual time of death. Could they muddy the metaphorical waters by not fleeing the scene directly and by frequently topping up the bath with hot water? Would that initial impression of 'the water's still warm, couldn't have been in there long' (for sake of alibis) be immediately overwritten by external, physical signs of extended immersion, or would it take an autopsy to determine the amount of internal decomposition?
So, when I finally climbed out of the tub, I googled the bit about water temperature and the sounds made. Turns out it definitely does affect the pitch and it's to do with the size of bubble trapped as the drip hits the surface. According to AI, 90% of people can determine whether hot or cold water is being poured just from the sound it makes. Who knew? Well, apart from the 90% of people...
AI overview:
Yes, the temperature of water partially determines the pitch of notes made by drips from a bath tap. This is primarily due to the effect of temperature on the viscosity and surface tension of water, which affects the size of the bubble trapped when the drip impacts the water surface.
Here is how water temperature affects the sound:
Research indicates that the sound is not caused by the impact itself, but by an air bubble trapped underneath the surface of the water in the sink/tub. The pitch of the "plink" sound is determined by the size of this trapped bubble—a larger bubble produces a lower frequency.
Why the Pitch Changes
.....................................................................................................................................................
now if only I could ask Sherlock directly about the rest of it
Anyway: reclining in the tub, eyes too heavy to read the book I'd meant to, I could hear the tap dripping but couldn't be bothered to move to stop it. Then I began to wonder if Sherlock could determine how long the person had been in the bath from the sound of the drips... i.e, did the temperature of the water partially determine the sound the drips made?
This was going on in my mind, broadening to how the bath water temperature might affect the appearance of the body (wrinkling—I start around 20 minutes of being submerged, redder skin, the settling of blood to lowest bodily parts etc...,) and how a murderer might attempt to distract from the actual time of death. Could they muddy the metaphorical waters by not fleeing the scene directly and by frequently topping up the bath with hot water? Would that initial impression of 'the water's still warm, couldn't have been in there long' (for sake of alibis) be immediately overwritten by external, physical signs of extended immersion, or would it take an autopsy to determine the amount of internal decomposition?
So, when I finally climbed out of the tub, I googled the bit about water temperature and the sounds made. Turns out it definitely does affect the pitch and it's to do with the size of bubble trapped as the drip hits the surface. According to AI, 90% of people can determine whether hot or cold water is being poured just from the sound it makes. Who knew? Well, apart from the 90% of people...
AI overview:
Yes, the temperature of water partially determines the pitch of notes made by drips from a bath tap. This is primarily due to the effect of temperature on the viscosity and surface tension of water, which affects the size of the bubble trapped when the drip impacts the water surface.
Here is how water temperature affects the sound:
- Cold Water (Higher Pitch): Cold water is more viscous (thicker) and has higher surface tension. This tends to produce smaller, more stable bubbles upon impact, which vibrate at a higher frequency.
- Hot Water (Lower Pitch): Hot water is less viscous (thinner/runnier) and has lower surface tension. Hot water also creates more bubbles, which are generally larger, leading to a lower-pitched, "splashier" sound.
Research indicates that the sound is not caused by the impact itself, but by an air bubble trapped underneath the surface of the water in the sink/tub. The pitch of the "plink" sound is determined by the size of this trapped bubble—a larger bubble produces a lower frequency.
Why the Pitch Changes
- Temperature Change: As cold water in pipes is replaced by hot water, the viscosity decreases, causing the pitch of the dripping sound to change (usually becoming lower).
- Surface Tension Changes: The reduction in surface tension as water heats up also alters the dynamics of the drop impact, contributing to the pitch variation.
.....................................................................................................................................................
now if only I could ask Sherlock directly about the rest of it
