What's It Called ...

[sherrardk]

... When a glass ball, half-filled with liquid rolls on a surface and the liquid stays level? Thank you

[jomifl]

gravity

[sherrardk]

Oh, that's disappointing. Isn't there a specific term for the liquid thingy? I'm guessing this is a physics thing - I got a u in physics :(

[DJHawkes]

galileo thermometer?

[shoota]

Sorry Sherr:
Dot see this.... http://www.theanswerbank.co.uk/ChatterBank/Question1289189.html

[sherrardk]

It's not the thermometer thing, I've got one of those. It's in the opening sequence of Elementary, there is a 'real life' sequence of the mouse trap game and there is transparent, half liquid filled marble involved and the liquid stays level as it rolls through the various bits if the trap (I get p***ed off if they don't show the opening sequence for some reason).

[jomifl]

Dot, the Galileo thermometer is a density effect.

[sherrardk]

It's the ball in the middle picture of the bottom line - http://www.artofthetitle.com/title/elementary/

[jomifl]

It is a well understood principle, it's why spirit levels contain a liquid.

[jim360]

I'd say it's related to inertia.

[jomifl]

How so jim?

[jim360]

What DocSausage was saying. Though it must be said that I came to that conclusion after not all that much thought, so could be wildly wrong.

[sherrardk]

:( I am so disappointed. Really thought it would have some sort of proper name of some kind.

[jim360]

Well it's now officially the "Sherrard effect".

[EDDIE51]

Yes gravity, that is what holds liquid or anything else down.
Out of interest what did you expect to happen?

[sherrardk]

Oh, I love that idea!

[sherrardk]

I didn't expect anything to happen, I expected it to have a name. Like the x theory or the x effect. I'm happy with the Sherrard effect though (thank you Jim360).

[heathfield]

From Pascal's Principle, a liquid is a form of matter that, under gravity, will find its own level. That's precisely what the water in the sphere is doing.

[Old_Geezer]

A liquid is a form of matter that, under gravity, will find its own level provided you don't have some darned air bubble in the flexible tubing the liquid is in !

[jomifl]

O_G don't be a cheapskate, buy a wider tube :o)