In a new series of ads for Canon, colorful paints are placed on a speaker cone and filmed at high speed to create beautiful “sound sculptures”. Paint, like oobleck, is a non-Newtonian fluid but does not react the same when excited by sound because it is shear-thinning. (When painting, you want the paint to run off the brush easily but not drip when it’s on the wall; hence, shear-thinning.) Both the photos and videos are lovely examples of fluid mechanics as art. Watch how they did it. # (Via jshoer, @ftematt, @JetForMe)
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Non-Newtonian Fun
Non-Newtonian fluids are a favorite for displaying odd behaviors. High-speed video simply improves the experience.
Remember, though, that non-Newtonian fluids don’t actually become solids when you hit them. They just react similarly to a solid because they exhibit a nonlinear response to deformation.
Running on a Pool of Oobleck
What happens when you fill a pool with a non-Newtonian fluid? Well, for one, you can hold races across the surface! In this video, the pool is filled with a mixture of cornstarch and water, a shear-thickening fluid known as oobleck.
The Kaye Effect
Non-Newtonian fluids can also be shear-thinning like shampoo. These fluids exhibit a phenomenon known as the Kaye effect. #
Cornstarch Monsters
In shear-thickening, non-Newtonian fluids, disturbances make the fluid more viscous (“thicker”, more resistant to motion). This is well-demonstrated by putting some on a speaker and turning it on! #