Combining Physics Lessons, Centrifugal Pumps, and Drinking Straws

Combining Physics Lessons, Centrifugal Pumps, and Drinking Straws

Do you know how your pump works? From consumption to irrigation purposes, a centrifugal water well pump is responsible for the removal and/or transfer of water from a water well. By simplifying the function of these pumps, you’ll find that they have a lot in common with a drinking device we use everyday.

Pressure moves from high to low. This general physics rule is what well pumps, specifically the centrifugal pump, rely on – and, as it turns out, so does your drinking straw. Follow the pumps’ process to figure out why this metaphor makes so much sense:

1. The pump’s motor starts as the impeller begins to turn and water is pushed out of the pump’s discharge port

2. The water movement created by the pump’s impeller acts as a partial vacuum

3. The earth’s air pressure forces water up the suction hose, leaving the suction (inlet) side of the pump to replace the displaced water

4. As the impeller rotates, water hits it, causing the energy of the impeller to transfer to the water and forces the water out with centrifugal force

5. Water is displaced outward so more water can now enter the suction side of the pump in order to replace the displaced water

Wikipedia describes the function of a drinking straw as a muscular action that reduces air pressure in the mouth and above the liquid in the straw. From there, atmospheric pressure steps in and forces the beverage through the straw. Sound familiar? A partial vacuum is created when one sucks on a straw and this is the same concept gathered with the centrifugal pump process.

There are a lot of types and styles of drinking straws out there, just like there are pumps, but they all function the same. Recognizing how your water well pump operates makes the investment of owning one more worth it when you know how to answer the following question: Do you know how your pump works?