Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 7, 2026

Visualization of High Speed Liquid Jet Impaction on a Moving Surface
Published on: April 17, 2015
Splashing of liquids: Interplay of surface roughness with surrounding gas
Lei Xu1, Loreto Barcos, Sidney R Nagel
1The James Franck Institute and Department of Physics, The University of Chicago, 929 East 57th Street, Chicago, Illinois 60637, USA.
Abstract:
We investigate the interplay between substrate roughness and surrounding gas pressure in controlling the dynamics of splashing when a liquid drop hits a dry solid surface. We associate two distinct forms of splashing with each of these control parameters: Prompt splashing is due to surface roughness and corona splashing is due to instabilities produced by the surrounding gas. The size distribution of ejected droplets reveals the length scales of the underlying droplet-creation process in both cases.
Related Concept Videos
Surface Tension of Fluid
Surface tension varies with...
Surface Tension, Capillary Action, and Viscosity
The various IMFs between identical molecules of a substance are examples of cohesive forces. The molecules within a liquid are surrounded by other molecules and are attracted equally in all directions by the cohesive forces within the liquid. However, the molecules on the surface of a liquid are attracted only by about one-half as many molecules. Because of the unbalanced molecular attractions on the surface molecules, liquids contract to form a shape that minimizes the number...
Excess Pressure Inside a Drop and a Bubble
Surface Tension
Laminar and Turbulent Flow
Viscosity
The SI unit of viscosity is...

