"dgk" wrote in message
...
It's too long since I took physics but I thought that the height would
be equal. One is an actual rainbarrel, with faucet already installed:

http://www.rainbarrelstorage.com/goo...40-p-7851.html

I paid a lot less than that but still more than a barrel should cost
even though it comes with a faucet already installed. It filled up so
fast that I figured I'd add another barrel to double the capacity. I
took an old Rubbermaid plastic garbage can, installed a faucet near
the bottom, used a Y adapter on each faucet, and a female-female hose
to link the two barrels, leaving one tap available on each one for a
hose. Both barrels are raised on cinderblocks to the same height.

Once I turned on the connecting hose, the water did flow from the
original one to the Rubbermaid, but stopped before the water heights
equalized. I checked the connection but there was no blockage. I
walked away puzzled.

It rained some yesterday, and both barrels are much fuller, but again,
the water heights are not identical.

So I guess the height of water in two dissimilar barrels, connected by
a hose, will not be the same but will vary depending on the diameter
or width of the barrels? Not what I remember, but that wouldn't be the
first time.


Water seeks it's own level. The size or shape of the two barrels/buckets
doesn't make any difference-----so under normal circumstances the water
levels would be at the same height ( the volume of water in each container
can be significantly different). One factor that would result in different
heights would be if the tops of one of them (or both) are sealed-air tight.
Another would be if the connection between the containers is restricted
limiting the flow between them--in this case the levels would eventually be
equal so long as there is a flow between the containers. If the full
container has it's top sealed than the amount of water leaving it would be
very small --think finger on the end of a straw Again, if the top is not
completely air tight then there will be a transfer of water but at a very
slow rate. Overall, the water levels between the two containers would be
governed by a force balance---Look up how a manometer works.
MLD