Did you know you can you tell whether running water is hot or cold simply by listening to it?

The other day I heard a guy on the radio say you can hear the difference between hot running water and cold running water.

That might sound absolutely crazy, but it's actually true. And I've known it for years.

Truth be told, a person with somewhat normal hearing can easily discern the difference in the sounds made by hot and cold running water. This is actually very easy to verify by performing a very simple experiment...

Turn the hot water in your shower all the way on and leave the cold water off, then listen to the sound the water makes as it exits the shower head and strikes the shower floor.

As the water begins to warm up you'll begin to hear a change in the sound the running water is making.

After the water is completely hot you'll hear a sound that's completely different from the sound you heard while the water was still cold.

If you're wondering why the temperature of running water affects the sound it makes, it all comes down to everyday physics...

As water (or most any other liquid) heats up it becomes less viscous - meaning it becomes thinner.

This is the reason we heat syrup in a microwave to make it easier to pour onto our pancakes.

As you'll find out when you perform the "shower" experiment described above, the viscosity (i.e. thickness) of water affects the sound it makes when it's running.

This is just one of the many fascinating things about our physical world.

Like this post? If so, check out the archives for lots more.

---

Be sure to subscribe to receive a new post of inspiration in your email inbox every day.