Showered by Science: A Rainy Day Thought Experiment Explored

A thought experiment!

CHAPTER 1: I ran

 

Coming out of  an auditorium, surviving a long lecture on college rules and dress code, I came out scrunching my eyes waiting for that bright light but to my surprise, it was dark and gloomy. It was raining and thundering.

 

Me and my friends stared at the rain pouring down. We had a class on "Statistical Thermodynamics" to attend. No Boltzmann could save us from the rain. 

 

Our professor started running in the rain to get to his class. I asked my friend Tara, "Will I get more wet, if I run or walk in this rain?" He insisted that it will be the same. My mind could just not comprehend. 

 

I asked him if he is down to an experiment. We than decided that he will be walking and I will be running. While everyone was waiting for rain to stop, I ran. 

I ran, and when I turn back, I saw him walk enjoying every drop of that rain. We had to decide, so we turned to the closet person around, we both with our doe eyes, asked him "WHO IS MORE DRENCHED?" I was baffled when he pointed at me. 

How?Why?What?I even ran.

 

CHAPTER 2: Rain Rain go Away!

 

I woke up and checked my phone it was 7:30 am. In shock and hurry, I ran to the bathroom to get myself ready as I had a football match at 7:45 am. I packed everything in minutes and ran. I got almost on time, we lost by one goal. But little did I know, the bad part was just starting. It started raining heavily, I opened my bag to reach for my rain coat. I couldn't find it. So, I waited and waited and waited. The rain didn't stop.
I saw an old man with his umbrella, I got under it and started talking. As we departed, I had to walk in the rain. I was drenched in water, walking on an empty road. I started thinking of the same old question. Why was I more soaked?

I started imagining.Let's get into my thoughts

Initial conditions:

1)Let us consider that the rain is uniformly pouring,perfectly vertical to the ground.

(Sorry wind we are ignoring you again.)  

 

                      fig(a)                                            fig(b):with gap & without gap

 

 

Now since rain is uniform , we can picture it as a line of drops of water but with gaps in between but what if we remove the gap for now. 

 Now remove every drop of water but keep one drop of water. If you move in a single direction there will be water droplet in same point again as it is raining uniformly.  

fig(c):Just one line of droplet              fig(d):By removing gap      

                

               

 

Now from this simple logic, if I run or walk my forehead will receive,equal amount of water as I will be walking through a line of water as the rain is uniform so in every moment there will be a line of water just touching my for-head. (We can sum up our all front surface in place of forehead.) 

So in conclusion, either the person walks or runs the amount of water touching his forehead will depend on distance rather than time taken. 

 

Analysis and Conclusion :

 Let "A" and "B" walk and run respectively in the rain.

 

1)I didn't talk about the top of the body, as if you escape one drop there will be another drop just in front for you to be soaked by. 

fig(e):Running escaping drop                  fig(f):Ran into another drop    

             

2)1)Person "A" will drench more if he walks so slow that in place of one drop,two drops of water strike on the head. (But this is case only for the top parts like shoulder or head )

 

3)If you keep standing on the rain the rain will fall more on your head but when you walk or run the water drops on your front surface of body will face will be the same. 

 

 

fig(f):Surface water drops(Horizontally)        fig(g):Water touching top part(Vertically)

                                  

    Total Drenched = Horizontal Body surface + Vertical top surface

Imagination alert: Think that there is a corridor and you are standing at one end and your love is at another end. Your are covered in a heart shaped costume.

   

 

  Now let us assume it rained and, the water froze and when you walk or run to your love, you will be touching the water that froze and absorb it until you reach at the end. So either you run or walk, the total volume of water drop absorbed will be the same.

My Remarks:

My thought experiment is just thought and it has many conditions applied,like it has to rain vertically, no winds and plain land. But I got a answer for my questions so I wanted to share. Any feedback would be loved.