Why does shower curtain stick to you

Prev NEXT. Science Vs. Everyday Myths. Why does the shower curtain billow in on me? The Bernoulli principle says that as fluid speeds up, pressure drops. This creates an imbalance of air pressure: The air from the outside remains at the same pressure, pushing in on the lower-pressure air where you're showering, leading the shower curtain to have its way with you.

The buoyancy theory : Hot water from the shower produces hot air. That hot air is less dense, so the colder, denser air from the other side heads for the lower-pressure area, causing the curtain to move inward. What if I never took a bath? Are bubble baths good for my skin?

Adams, Cecil. August 10, July 15, Your shower curtain attempts to murder you. No, it's not quite that bad Your shower curtain blows inward, smothering you in plastic and pressing you into the cold tile wall. If this has ever happened to you, you're not alone. In fact, the shower-curtain effect has confounded scientists for years.

The reason your shower curtain wants to wrap you up in a cloak of death is much more complicated than anything in your bathroom ever should be. One of the most popular theories explaining the shower-curtain effect is Bernoulli's principle.

Bernoulli's principle states that as a fluid's velocity increases, pressure decreases. Fast-moving water flowing from the shower head creates a low-pressure area, and the higher-pressure air outside the shower presses the curtain against you in its endeavor for equilibrium. But the leading theory behind the shower-curtain effect comes from UMass Amherst professor David Schmidt.

Schmidt won an Ig Nobel Prize for his partial solution of the shower curtain problem. Most department stores carry shower curtains that have weights on the bottom to prevent them from blowing around. Upgrade your curtain liner. Lightweight, inexpensive shower curtain liners are more likely to blow in than thicker versions. Look for a heavyweight liner while shopping.

Install a curved shower curtain rod. A curved rod will keep the curtain farther away from the water, making it less likely to get drawn in. Grab a suction cup and binder clip. If you don't have a tub around your shower to stick magnets to, try suction cups. On each side of the shower opening attach a suction cup to your shower wall.

You can get packs of suction cups at home improvement stores. Now, clip binder clips to the shower curtain, close to the suction cup.