I like big arguments!
Captain Toenail said:
Would the lower gravity on Mars make it harder to, you know... actually do it? Splash back may be a bigger problem.
The design of the toilets seems to prevent that: there is a sort of dry, raised grate which holds the produce in full view until it's flushed away -reminds me of the infamous German step toilets, in a way). Gravity seems artificially compensated for somehow, at least indoors and in work areas. I didn't notice if during outdoors ventures you can walk faster or jump higher/longer, though.
Even if the gravity compensation broke down just in the toilet, at most you'd see your turds drop more slowly, but due to the different gravity constants, the splash would be about the same as on earth.
Hmm..OK, some physics.
Let's say that, on Earth, Doomguy dumps a log of mass m1 from height h1, with a total potential energy of E1=m1 * g * h1. In order to be splashed back, a certain mass m2 of water must gain enough kinetic energy to reach the height of Doomguy's ass, which is h1.
For simplicity's sake, we'll assume that the log falls in one piece, and that due to its shape and energy conversion efficiency and toilet design considerations, it delivers half of its energy to a mass of water with half its mass, so m2 = m1/2, and E2=E1/2 => m2 * g * h2 = (m1/2) * g * h1. This means that, if you assume a 50% energy conversion efficiency (HALF of the potential energy of the turd becomes kinetic and then potential energy of the back splash), then if the maximum amount of water affected is at most half as heavy as the turd, it will reach Doomguy's ass. By displacing less water but transferring the same energy it will also make Doomguy wet :-(
Now, by repeating the same calculations on Mars, with a lower gravity constant g than earth's nothing would change as to the risk of a back splash, as the constant would change by the same amount on both sides of the E2 = E1/2 equation, QED ;-)
Now, if a turd was released at Earth gravity and the moment it hit the water the gravity generator broke down and the water was suddenly at Mars gravity.... ;-)
Last edited by Maes on 11-14-12 at 13:33