Dependence of Dripping on the Orifice Diameter in a Leaky Faucet

Abstract

We report the results of experiments that examined the dependence of the dripping dynamics of a leaky faucet on the orifice diameter. The transition of the dripping frequency between periodic and chaotic states was found to depend on the orifice diameter. We suggest a theoretical explanation for these transitions based on drop formation time scales. In addition, short-range anti-correlations were measured in the chaotic region. These too showed a dependence on the faucet diameter. Finally, a comparison was done between the experimental results with a one-dimensional model for drop formation. Quantitative agreement was found between the simulations and the experimental results.