Question

Describe precisely what is “wrong” physically in the famous Escher drawing shown in Fig. 6–32.

Short answer

The drawing is physically wrong because after falling, the water goes up again without any external support.

Step-by-step solution

Understanding the picture

The given picture shows a waterfall. Here, the water is falling from an initial height to a wheel, which causes the wheel to rotate. After this, the same water goes in a zig-zag manner and finally reaches its initial starting height on its own.

Arriving at a conclusion

The direction of the flow of water in the figure is not practically possible. The water cannot flow back to its initial height without any external force aiding it.

For example, the water will flow downwards through a pipe on its own. But to make the water flow upwards, one should use a motor to pump the water.

So, as the water cannot move upwards on its own, the picture is not physically correct.