Trees are incredible organisms, with some species capable of growing more than 100 meters in height. But how do trees get so big and why don’t they grow even taller? Keep reading
Tag: evaporation
Crystalline Critters
In 5th grade, I grew crystals by evaporating solutions of salt water from miniature pie tins. The results were white, boxy crystals whose size depended on how much salt I’d Keep reading
The Vortex Beneath a Drop
While we’re most used to seeing levitating Leidenfrost droplets on a solid surface, such drops can also form above a liquid bath. In fact, the smoothness of the bath’s surface, Keep reading
Mossy Vortex Rings
Many plants have evolved an ability to move remarkably quickly. Often, this capability is driven by water. Here we see the moss Sphagnum affine, which disperses its spores explosively. The process Keep reading
Marangoni Bursting
Placing a mixture of alcohol and water atop a pool of oil creates a stunning effect that pulls droplets apart. The action is driven by the Marangoni effect, where variations Keep reading
Pearls On a Puddle
Leave a drop of coffee sitting on a surface and it will leave behind a ring of particulates once the water evaporates. But what happens to a droplet made up Keep reading
Blooming Deposits
Evaporate a droplet full of silica nanoparticles, and you’ll get beautiful, flower-like films. As the water evaporates, dry nanoparticles build up in a solid deposit. The evaporation creates a pressure Keep reading
Drying Out
Look closely at old paintings, and you’ll notice arrays of tiny, straight cracks that form as the paint dried. This sort of pattern formation during drying is not unusual. Here Keep reading
Whiskey Stains
Complex fluids leave behind fascinating stains after they evaporate. We’ve seen previously how coffee forms rings and whisky forms more complicated stains as surface tension changes during evaporation drive particles throughout the droplet. Now Keep reading
Streaming Fire
I’m just going to start this one with a blanket statement: DO NOT TRY THIS. Instead, enjoy the fact that the Internet enables us to enjoy the sight of burning gasoline in Keep reading