# Cracker crumb zips around in the toilet **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 12, 2022, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cracker-crumb-zips-around-in-the-toilet/974775 "2022-11-12T02:59:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![racer72](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/racer72/32/3075_2.png) [@racer72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racer72)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2022, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cracker-crumb-zips-around-in-the-toilet/974775/1 "2022-11-12T02:59:02Z")
My wife thinks I’m weird. But I just had something happen and it’s not the first time. Went into the bathroom to take a leak. Noticed a couple cracker crumbs on my shirt and brushed them off. One hit the porcelain of the bowl, the other landed in the water. The crumb in the water made 2 tight circles then zipped off straight for a couple inches. Not sure of the physics behind what happen. Tried to Google for an answer, all I got were sites on cleaning toilets. I tried a couple other crumbs from the cracker package and they did nothing. The water in the bowl was perfectly still so it wasn’t the water moving. Is there some kind of physics behind something landing in still water and zipping around for a few seconds? ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2022, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cracker-crumb-zips-around-in-the-toilet/974775/2 "2022-11-12T03:02:14Z")
Maybe there was some kind of reaction between a static charge you couldn’t detect, and the water’s surface tension? ---
**Author:** ![SuntanLotion](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suntanlotion/32/16165_2.png) [@SuntanLotion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SuntanLotion)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2022, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cracker-crumb-zips-around-in-the-toilet/974775/3 "2022-11-12T03:14:55Z")
Tried to restrain from saying never eat the brown acid. But failed. carry on. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2022, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cracker-crumb-zips-around-in-the-toilet/974775/4 "2022-11-12T03:39:46Z")
Repeat the experiment as you’re crossing the equator. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2022, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cracker-crumb-zips-around-in-the-toilet/974775/5 "2022-11-12T04:26:08Z")
Probably something similar to a [soap boat…](https://sciencebob.com/build-a-soap-powered-model-boat/) ---
**Author:** ![Walken\_After\_Midnight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b487fb/32.png) [@Walken\_After\_Midnight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walken_After_Midnight)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2022, 6:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cracker-crumb-zips-around-in-the-toilet/974775/6 "2022-11-12T06:32:06Z")
Baking powder or baking soda can also be used to power boats: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/WVFpqQR7RY4/maxresdefault.jpg "Baking Powder Powered Boat #2") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WVFpqQR7RY4) ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2022, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cracker-crumb-zips-around-in-the-toilet/974775/7 "2022-11-13T00:59:46Z")
Could there have been a grain of salt whose solution powered the movement?