# If I drop a bucket of water from a height, what (if anything) happens to the air pressure on the water?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-drop-a-bucket-of-water-from-a-height-what-if-anything-happens-to-the-air-pressure-on-the-water/997259>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Tags:** science-math\
**Created:** [February 7, 2024, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-drop-a-bucket-of-water-from-a-height-what-if-anything-happens-to-the-air-pressure-on-the-water/997259 "2024-02-07T19:22:09Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
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**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\
**Post date:** [February 9, 2024, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-drop-a-bucket-of-water-from-a-height-what-if-anything-happens-to-the-air-pressure-on-the-water/997259/22 "2024-02-09T14:25:56Z")

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> [@wolfpup](#):
>
> I’m not really sure what you’re saying here. The OP asked how “the column of air pushing on the surface” would affect a bucket of water that was in free fall.

I’m considering the clarified question:

> [@Maserschmidt](#):
>
> I then drop the bucket from some height. Does the air pressure on the water’s surface change?

I was considering it a question about the pressure changes on the portion facing down vs those upwards.

My understanding of the physics of drafting was what I was considering. Not sure why that is hard to understand?

@TriPolar I guess then my understanding of the physics of drafting has been wrong?

I understood that lower pressure forms behind the lead cyclist dragging on them. A cyclist behind them benefits by being in that lower pressure zone and to a lesser degree benefits the lead rider by reducing the the drag on them. Someone in the middle of a larger peloton gains the most benefit.

That effect, however I may be misunderstanding it, is big enough for me to be able to notice even at the speeds I was able to hit.

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