All mysteries
Mystery #3Tier 1-2air pressure / suction

How does drinking through a straw actually work?

When you sip through a straw it feels like you're pulling the drink up with your mouth, like a magnet tugging on metal. But here's the strange truth: your mouth can't actually reach down into the glass and grab anything. So if you're not pulling the juice up, what is pushing it up?

A cold drink with a straw, air pressure does the lifting when you sip.
Photo: Shari's Berries · CC BY 2.0 · via Wikimedia Commons

Your guess

When you 'suck' on a straw, what really makes the drink climb up to your mouth?

There's no single magic word to type, have a go in your own words, then reveal the answer to see how close you got.

Make a guess to unlock the hints and the answer.