# Laminar flow equations **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 13, 2017, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laminar-flow-equations/782092 "2017-03-13T15:01:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![laminarFLOWS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a183cd/32.png) [@laminarFLOWS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/laminarFLOWS)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2017, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laminar-flow-equations/782092/1 "2017-03-13T15:01:57Z")
Hi all! I just had a question to see if anyone knows of the equation to find the spread of water from a spoon when the spoon is placed underneath a stream of water. Possible variables could be the shape of the spoon, the velocity of the jet, the angle of the spoon, the angle of the jet, the angle of contact, where contact with the spoon is made, the turblent or laminar nature of the water jet, the viscoscity of the water, the compresiblity, heat of the water and the force of gravity (there is probably more) Thank you for taking the time to read this. ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2017, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laminar-flow-equations/782092/2 "2017-03-13T15:18:45Z")
:dubious: Is this homework? ---
**Author:** ![watchwolf49](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e9c0ed/32.png) [@watchwolf49](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/watchwolf49)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2017, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laminar-flow-equations/782092/3 "2017-03-13T15:32:30Z")
Do we know the function that describes the shape of the spoon? ---
**Author:** ![am77494](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d2c977/32.png) [@am77494](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/am77494)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2017, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laminar-flow-equations/782092/4 "2017-03-13T16:14:57Z")
> [@laminarFLOWS](#): > > Hi all! > I just had a question to see if anyone knows of the equation to find the spread of water from a spoon when the spoon is placed underneath a stream of water. > > Possible variables could be the shape of the spoon, the velocity of the jet, the angle of the spoon, the angle of the jet, the angle of contact, where contact with the spoon is made, the turblent or laminar nature of the water jet, the viscoscity of the water, the compresiblity, heat of the water and the force of gravity (there is probably more) > > Thank you for taking the time to read this. Here’s a [paper](http://www.abcm.org.br/anais/cobem/2007/pdf/COBEM2007-0932.pdf)on a laminar jet impinging on a flat surface. Equations will be pretty similar for the spoon surface. You will need CFD software to predict the spread of water. ---
**Author:** ![watchwolf49](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e9c0ed/32.png) [@watchwolf49](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/watchwolf49)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2017, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laminar-flow-equations/782092/5 "2017-03-13T20:02:43Z")
> [@Machine\_Elf](#): > > :dubious: Is this homework? If it is … then we have the most sadistic professor in the world … ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2017, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laminar-flow-equations/782092/6 "2017-03-13T20:14:24Z")
> [@watchwolf49](#): > > If it is … then we have the most sadistic professor in the world … The problem described in the OP would not be out of place in a graduate-level fluid mechanics course. ---
**Author:** ![Dag\_Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@Dag\_Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dag_Otto)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2017, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laminar-flow-equations/782092/7 "2017-03-14T13:14:36Z")
But the OP would be out of place in a graduate-level fluid mechanics course. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2017, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laminar-flow-equations/782092/8 "2017-03-14T13:17:55Z")
> [@laminarFLOWS](#): > > Hi all! > I just had a question to see if anyone knows of the equation to find the spread of water from a spoon when the spoon is placed underneath a stream of water. > > Possible variables could be the shape of the spoon, the velocity of the jet, the angle of the spoon, the angle of the jet, the angle of contact, where contact with the spoon is made, the turblent or laminar nature of the water jet, the viscoscity of the water, the compresiblity, heat of the water and the force of gravity (there is probably more) > > Thank you for taking the time to read this. It sprays all over the kitchen. ---
**Author:** ![watchwolf49](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e9c0ed/32.png) [@watchwolf49](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/watchwolf49)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2017, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laminar-flow-equations/782092/9 "2017-03-14T14:48:41Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > It sprays all over the kitchen. Kitchen counter physics … thanks for taking one for the team … ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2017, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laminar-flow-equations/782092/10 "2017-03-14T18:43:17Z")
> [@Dag\_Otto](#): > > But the OP would be out of place in a graduate-level fluid mechanics course. As well in GQ. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2017, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laminar-flow-equations/782092/11 "2017-03-14T19:04:19Z")
I’m not able to recall \*all \*the details of the formula at this moment, but I’m pretty sure the correct answer given the OP’s inputs will be 42. ---
**Author:** ![August\_West](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/august_west/32/18069_2.png) [@August\_West](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/August_West)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2017, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laminar-flow-equations/782092/12 "2017-03-14T20:57:33Z")
> [@laminarFLOWS](#): > > Hi all! > I just had a question to see if anyone knows of the equation to find the spread of water from a spoon when the spoon is placed underneath a stream of water. > > Possible variables could be the shape of the spoon, the velocity of the jet, the angle of the spoon, the angle of the jet, the angle of contact, where contact with the spoon is made, the turblent or laminar nature of the water jet, the viscoscity of the water, the compresiblity, heat of the water and the force of gravity (there is probably more) > > Thank you for taking the time to read this. I have the proper information at hand, but first I need to know if the spoon is bowl side up (traditional) or bowl side down (Perkins transformation). ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2017, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laminar-flow-equations/782092/13 "2017-03-14T21:03:46Z")
The viscosity and compressibility of water and the force of gravity are _variables_? Aren’t those pretty invariable? ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2017, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laminar-flow-equations/782092/14 "2017-03-14T22:18:08Z")
The first two vary a lot depending on temperature. Like say above 100C or below 0C vs somewhere in between. 🙂 The latter not so much unless we’re pouring on the Moon or something. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2017, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laminar-flow-equations/782092/15 "2017-03-14T22:20:36Z")
> [@August\_West](#): > > > [@laminarFLOWS](#): > > > > Hi all! > > I just had a question to see if anyone knows of the equation to find the spread of water from a spoon when the spoon is placed underneath a stream of water. > > > > Possible variables could be the shape of the spoon, the velocity of the jet, the angle of the spoon, the angle of the jet, the angle of contact, where contact with the spoon is made, the turblent or laminar nature of the water jet, the viscoscity of the water, the compresiblity, heat of the water and the force of gravity (there is probably more) > > > > Thank you for taking the time to read this. > > I have the proper information at hand, but first I need to know if the spoon is bowl side up (traditional) or bowl side down (Perkins transformation). More importantly, is it a runcible spoon? ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2017, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laminar-flow-equations/782092/16 "2017-03-14T22:26:39Z")
If it’s a spork you need to separately deal with the flow around and between each tine. Everything’s better with sporks.