Something that bugs me: In what way are they vacuum cleaners?

[sniffnoy]

So far as I can tell, they just move air from one place to another; they don't leave a vacuum in place for any substantial amount of time. Sure, you *can* describe that as continuously making a vacuum and filling it, but ISTM that's more simply described as moving air from one place to another. Is it actually a suboptimal description, is there something I'm missing, or am I just wrong about how they work?

-Harry

Comments

[grenadier32.livejournal.com]

By what means do they "move air from one place to another"?

[sniffnoy.livejournal.com]

By what means do they "make a vacuum"? *g*

Obviously either description works. My question is which is simpler in this case, and ISTM it should be the description that doesn't talk about vacuums or air pressure.

[grenadier32.livejournal.com]

Now that I think about it, I think I prefer the name "air pressure gradient cleaner".

[sniffnoy.livejournal.com]

But my whole question is why air pressure gradients are a helpful way to think about it!

[sniffnoy.livejournal.com]

OK, some guy on Reddit tells me that vacuum cleaners don't continually make a vacuum, they repeatedly make a vacuum. (Well, low-pressure region.) If this is correct, I agree the name makes sense.