image: Have you ever seen a drop of water navigate a maze? This is possible thanks to the Leidenfrost effect, which also lets water droplets dance and skitter across a hot surface instead of boil away on the spot. Scientists are now using high-speed cameras to better understand the phenomenon. This investigation might lead to improvements in power generation. Watch superhot dancing droplets in this video: https://youtu.be/9tlIWlGvkRc. view more
Credit: The American Chemical Society
WASHINGTON, May 16, 2017 -- Have you ever seen a drop of water navigate a maze? It's possible thanks to the same phenomenon that lets you know if a griddle is hot enough for pancake batter. Water droplets that dance and skitter across a hot surface instead of boil away on the spot are experiencing the Leidenfrost effect. Understanding Leidenfrost -- first described more than 200 years ago -- helped engineers make more efficient steam engines. Today, scientists are using high-speed cameras to better characterize how superhot water behaves on metal surfaces. The investigation might lead to improvements in power generation. Watch the superhot dancing droplets here: https://youtu.be/9tlIWlGvkRc.
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