# physics of floaters

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/physics-of-floaters/98311>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [March 14, 2002, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/physics-of-floaters/98311 "2002-03-14T18:02:52Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![hroeder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9adbd/32.png) [@hroeder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hroeder)\
**Post date:** [March 14, 2002, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/physics-of-floaters/98311/1 "2002-03-14T18:02:52Z")

</div>

Like John Cage I like a clean bowl.  
I’ve noticed that if I place a piece of toilet paper over a reluctant floater that it will flush very easily.  
This is a real mystery. What are the physics that a thin strip of TP, placed over a floater will overcome its reluctance to accept the swirl of gravity?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Enola\_Straight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dec6dc/32.png) [@Enola\_Straight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enola_Straight)\
**Post date:** [March 14, 2002, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/physics-of-floaters/98311/2 "2002-03-14T18:43:56Z")

</div>

I figure, the TP has a higher surface area for the swirling water  
to “get a grip on”. This then sweeps up (down?) the floater like a  
fishnet.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\
**Post date:** [March 14, 2002, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/physics-of-floaters/98311/3 "2002-03-14T18:56:06Z")

</div>

hmmm… how do you make it float? I must be getting a lot of iron in my diet… or something.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\
**Post date:** [March 14, 2002, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/physics-of-floaters/98311/4 "2002-03-14T21:28:11Z")

</div>

I thought this was a post about drowned people.  
Shit.  
To click “email notification” or not?  
I think not.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![galen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ecc23a/32.png) [@galen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/galen)\
**Post date:** [March 15, 2002, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/physics-of-floaters/98311/5 "2002-03-15T14:58:30Z")

</div>

I thought this post was about those things that float inside your eyeballs!