Rubbing a balloon on your hair can build a significant electrical charge. Water droplets have the same issue when they slide across a hydrophobic, electrically-insulated surface. A new study models Keep reading
Tag: contact angle
Rattlesnakes Sip Rain From Their Scales
Getting enough water in arid climates can be tough, but Western diamondback rattlesnakes have a secret weapon: their scales. During rain, sleet, and even snow, these rattlesnakes venture out of Keep reading
Building Liquid Circuits
Building microfluidic circuits is generally a multi-day process, requiring a clean room and specialized manufacturing equipment. A new study suggests a quicker alternative using fluid walls to define the circuit Keep reading
Superhydrophobic Coatings
Superhydrophobic–or water repellent–materials are much sought after. Their remarkable ability to shed water is actually mechanical in nature–not chemical. Surfaces with a highly textured microstructure, like a lotus leaf or Keep reading
Pinning a Drop
The shape of a droplet sitting on a surface depends, in part, on its surface tension properties but also on the nanoscale roughness of the surface. Small variations in the Keep reading
Water and Aerogel
Aerogel is an extremely light porous material formed when the liquid inside a gel is replaced with gas. When combined with water, aerogel powders can have some wild superhydrophobic effects. Here Keep reading
Evaporation and Surface Effects
Surface properties can have surprising effects on fluid behavior. This image shows the evaporation of several droplets over time. All of the initial droplets are of the same volume, but Keep reading
Bouncing Off
A water droplet falling onto a superhydrophobic surface will rebound and bounce without wetting the surface. Capillary and internal waves reflect in the drop until it comes to rest at Keep reading