Celebrating the physics of all that flows
For tiny creatures, surface tension is a formidable barrier. Newborn tadpoles are much too small and weak to breach the air-water surface in order to breathe. Researchers found that, instead, Keep reading
Surface tension in a liquid arises from molecular forces. Within a liquid like water, a molecule inside the fluid experiences equal tugs from similar molecules in every direction. A molecule Keep reading
Last week reader thesnazz asked: Is there a difference between surface tension and viscosity, or are they two manifestations of the same process and/or principles? If you know a given Keep reading
Surface tension creates a glassy, smooth layer of water over U.S. swimmer Tyler Clary the instant before he surfaces as he competes in the backstroke. Surface tension arises from intermolecular Keep reading
From a series called “Surface Tension,” these ink and water drawings by Marguerite French explore the effects of diffusion, surface tension, and evaporation. The forms left by the thin layer Keep reading
Surface tension arises from intermolecular forces along the interface of a fluid, but despite its molecular origins, it can have some substantial macroscopic effects. Here researchers demonstrate how surface tension Keep reading
Droplets of oleic acid spread across a thin film of glycerol on a silicon wafer. The shapes here are driven by hydrodynamic instabilities, particularly Marangoni effects due to the differences Keep reading
This simple demonstration shows the power of surface tension, especially at small lengthscales. Another way to break the surface tension holding the water in the sieve would be to spray Keep reading
lazenby asks: How can superfluid liquid Helium have zero viscosity while retaining surface tension? (assuming something like surface tension is required for a liquid to form drops) The short answer is Keep reading
Nature’s smallest water-walkers use surface tension to keep themselves afloat. This includes hundreds of species of invertebrates like insects and spiders as well as the occasional extremely tiny vertebrate, like Keep reading