It’s a Messy Business – “Urinal Dynamics”

I love Wired magazine and if you aren’t already a subscriber, this might be motivation enough for the ladies.

Most of the readers are men, which is good because they are the target for this article.  But I’ll leave targets  to the experts, researchers Tadd Truscott and Randy Hurd.

Men’s ability to urinate while standing, in spite of its advantages, has one messy flaw: splash-back. That’s the splatter that bounces out of the bowl onto the seat, floor, pants, shoes … Enter Tadd Truscott and Randy Hurd, fluid dynamicists at Brigham Young University’s Splash Lab. For a study of “urinal dynamics,” they built a specialized hose that simulated a guy taking a leak, then used high-speed photography to film it in action. By varying the distance traveled and impact angle, the duo pinpointed a spritz-free way to pee. They presented their findings at a recent physics conference, and word spread from there. “One man called to thank us for saving his marriage,” Truscott says. So for cleaner bathrooms, drier pants, and happier housemates, heed this advice. (Wired June 2014)

Splash Lab at Brigham Young University where physicists study urine splashback.

 

To truly appreciate their work, check out the visuals posted online here, Scientific Tips for Peeing Like a Proper Gentleman

Here are recommendations which would prove helpful to all

Techniques to reduce splashes

  • Getting as close as possible – a smooth unbroken stream is better than droplets
  • Angling the stream – aiming sideways or downwards instead of straight at the toilet water/wall
  • Placing toilet tissue in the bowl to soften impact
  • Hydrophobic coatings for toilets
  • Being a “sitzpinkler” – sitting down instead of standing

(BBC, Physicists probe urination splashback problem)

 

Jun 27, 2014

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About the Author

Mylinh Shattan is a writer who has lived on three continents, served in the Army, worked in corporate America, and taught in college. She loves adventures, in the world and in the mind. Literature is relevant and learning is a lifelong pursuit, so you might as well have a bit of fun along the way.

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