On a hot surface, droplets can float on a layer of their own vapor and vibrate in star-like shapes. These so-called Leidenfrost stars also make noise, with distinct beats that Keep reading
Tag: vibration
Ultrasonic Vibrations
Ultrafast vibrations can break up droplets, mix fluids, and even tear voids in a liquid. Here, the Slow Mo Guys demonstrate each of these using an ultrasonic homogenizer, a piece Keep reading
Hedgehogs Atop Waves
Since Michael Faraday, scientists have watched the curious patterns that form in a vibrating liquid. By adding floating particles to such a system, researchers have discovered spiky, hedgehog-like shapes that Keep reading
Freezing Waves
Vibrate a liquid, and you’ll get a pattern of standing waves known as Faraday waves. In this project, artist Linden Gledhill adds a twist to the usual view of these Keep reading
Floating in Levitating Liquids
When it comes to stability, nature can be amazingly counter-intuitive, as in this case of flotation on the underside of a levitating liquid. First things first: how is this liquid Keep reading
Hot Ice, Buoyancy Tricks, and More DIY Fun
Here’s a smorgasbord of DIY experiments from Dianna at Physics Girl. Some are fluidsy, some aren’t, but all of them give you a chance to stretch your science muscles at Keep reading
Shear in Shaken Sands
The dynamics inside a shaken granular material, like sand, are fascinatingly complex. In this study, researchers used x-ray radiograms to peer inside a horizontally-shaken container of sand. They found that Keep reading
“Waves”
The “Waves” installation by artist Daniel Palacios appears deceptively simple, just a rope mounted between two motors. But once the motors start spinning, it is anything but. The installation shifts Keep reading
The Tolling of the Atmosphere
Strum a musical instrument and you create a host of vibrations at many different frequencies. The same is true of our atmosphere, which rings at frequencies far too low for Keep reading
Shake It!
Vibrate a pool of water, and you’ll get Faraday waves, ripple-like excitations that form their own distinctive pattern compared to the driving vibration. But you don’t have to vibrate a Keep reading