Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

Fluid dynamics

Coupling the large and the small

Nature Physics volume 3, pages 145–146 (2007)Cite this article

Solid objects generally produce a splash upon entering water. Surprisingly, a small change in the surface chemistry of an object can turn a big splash into an inconspicuous disappearance and vice versa.

These qualitative observations, obtained in the best British naturalist's tradition without the use of any mathematics or detailed physical models, have now been beautifully explained by Duez and co-workers within a simple and fully quantitative model1. They find that the flow, as viewed macroscopically, consists of a film of liquid racing along the upper surface of the sphere to close the void, and thus to produce a 'plop'. Indeed, significant sound production depends on air bubbles being trapped inside the fluid: the compressibility of air allows bubbles to 'breath' (something an incompressible fluid can't do), and thus to generate sound.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Rent or buy this article

Get just this article for as long as you need it

$39.95

Learn more

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Figure 1: From no splash to a large splash.
Figure 2: Wonky splash.

References

  1. Duez, C. et al. Nature Phys. 3, 180–183 (2007).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  2. Worthington, A. M. A Study of Splashes (Longmans, London, 1908).

    Google Scholar 

  3. Pippard, B. Notes Rec. R. Soc. London 56, 63–81 (2002).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Quéré, D. Rep. Prog. Phys. 68, 2495–2532 (2005).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  5. Davidson, P. Turbulence (Oxford Univ. Press, Oxford, 2004).

    MATH  Google Scholar 

  6. Jeong, J.–T. & Moffatt, H. K. J. Fluid Mech. 241, 1–22 (1992).

    Article  ADS  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  7. Lorenceau, È., Quéré, D. & Eggers, J. Phys. Rev. Lett. 93, 254501 (2004).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  8. Kadanoff, L. P. Phys. Today 50, 11–13 (1997).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Berry, M. V. Phys. Today 55, 10–11 (2002).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  10. Berry, M. V. Philos. Sci. 9, 597–607 (1994).

    Google Scholar 

  11. Bender, C. & Orszag, S. Advanced Mathematical Methods for Scientists and Engineers (McGraw–Hill, New York, 1978).

    MATH  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Jens Eggers is in the School of Mathematics, University of Bristol, University Walk, Bristol BS8 1TW, UK. jens.eggers@bristol.ac.uk,

    Jens Eggers

Authors
  1. Jens Eggers
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and Permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Eggers, J. Coupling the large and the small. Nature Phys 3, 145–146 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1038/nphys552

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nphys552

This article is cited by

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing