Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 7, 2026
10:09
Fast Imaging Technique to Study Drop Impact Dynamics of Non-Newtonian Fluids
Published on: March 6, 2014
Stable drop shapes under disjoining pressure. II. Multiplicity and stability
1Chemical Engineering Department, University of Missouri-Rolla, Rolla, Missouri 65409-1230, USA.
Journal of Colloid and Interface Science
|November 18, 2005
Summary
Investigating drop stability and disjoining pressure revealed multiple possible shapes. Only two stable drop configurations were identified, offering new insights into attractive and repulsive forces.
Area of Science:
- Colloid and Surface Science
- Fluid Dynamics
- Physical Chemistry
Background:
- The behavior of liquid drops is governed by surface tension and intermolecular forces.
- Understanding the contact line region is crucial for phenomena like wetting and dewetting.
- Disjoining pressure plays a significant role in the stability of thin liquid films.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze the stability of the contact line region influenced by disjoining pressure.
- To investigate multiple solutions for drop shapes under specific conditions.
- To determine the stable drop configurations and understand the underlying forces.
Main Methods:
- Solving the augmented Young-Laplace equation.
- Applying linear stability analysis to assess infinitesimal disturbances.
- Investigating the influence of disjoining pressure on drop morphology.
Main Results:
- As many as five distinct solutions for drop shapes were obtained.
- Solutions included drops ending in uniform thin films, oscillating films, and microscopic contact angles.
- Linear stability analysis indicated most configurations were unstable.
- Only two stable drop shapes were identified: a constant-thickness film and a drop ending in a film of the same thickness.
Conclusions:
- The study demonstrates the existence of multiple stable and unstable drop shapes.
- Attractive and repulsive forces, as mediated by disjoining pressure, dictate the stability of these shapes.
- This work provides novel insights into the multiplicity and stability of liquid drops in confined geometries.
Related Concept Videos
03:51Molecular Orbital Theory II
Molecular Orbital Energy Diagrams
02:30Stability of Substituted Cyclohexanes
This lesson discusses the stability of substituted cyclohexanes with a focus on energies of various conformers and the effect of 1,3-diaxial interactions.
The two chair conformations of cyclohexanes undergo rapid interconversion at room temperature. Both forms have identical energies and stabilities, each comprising equal amounts of the equilibrium mixture. Replacing a hydrogen atom with a functional group makes the two conformations energetically non-equivalent.
For example, in...
The two chair conformations of cyclohexanes undergo rapid interconversion at room temperature. Both forms have identical energies and stabilities, each comprising equal amounts of the equilibrium mixture. Replacing a hydrogen atom with a functional group makes the two conformations energetically non-equivalent.
For example, in...
01:23Stability of Equilibrium Configuration
Understanding the stability of equilibrium configurations is a fundamental part of mechanical engineering. In any system, there are three distinct types of equilibrium: stable, neutral, and unstable.
A stable equilibrium occurs when a system tends to return to its original position when given a small displacement, and the potential energy is at its minimum. An example of a stable equilibrium is when a cantilever beam is fixed at one end and a weight is attached to the other end. If the weight...
A stable equilibrium occurs when a system tends to return to its original position when given a small displacement, and the potential energy is at its minimum. An example of a stable equilibrium is when a cantilever beam is fixed at one end and a weight is attached to the other end. If the weight...
01:13Excess Pressure Inside a Drop and a Bubble
The shape of a small drop of liquid can be considered spherical, neglecting the effect of gravity. This drop can further be considered as two equal hemispherical drops put together due to surface tension. The forces acting on the spherical drop are due to the pressure of the liquid inside the drop, the pressure due to air outside the drop, and the force due to the surface tension acting on the two hemispherical drops.
01:14Stability of structures
In mechanical engineering, the stability of systems under various forces is critical for designing durable and efficient structures. One fundamental way to explore these concepts is by analyzing systems like two rods connected at a pivot point, O, with a torsional spring of spring constant k at the pivot point. This system is similar in appearance to a scissor jack used to change tires on a car. In this case, the arms of the linkage (equivalent to the rods in this system) are entirely vertical,...
01:27Two Components: Liquid–Liquid Systems
A pressure-composition phase diagram explicitly describes the behavior of an ideal solution of two volatile liquids under varying pressures and compositions. A pressure-composition diagram has two main curves. The bubble point curve represents the plot of pressure versus liquid mole fraction. It indicates the pressure at which the first bubble of vapor forms from the liquid phase as the system pressure decreases.The dew point curve is the pressure versus vapor mole fraction. It indicates the...