This high-speed video shows the cavitation that occurs when a bottle of water is struck. The impact accelerates the bottle downward, generating localized vacuums between the glass and the liquid. These are cavitation bubbles, which expand until the pressure of the water surrounding them is too great. This outside pressure triggers an implosion of the bubble, which collapses until the pressure within the bubble makes it expand again. These rapid oscillations in pressure can often shatter the glass bottle. Cavitation can also generate extremely high temperatures and even trigger luminescence. It’s used by both pistol shrimp and mantis shrimp to hunt their prey. (Video credit: P. Taylor)
Cavitation in a Bottle
