Droplet motions fill a periodic table
Abstract
Droplets and their motions surround us--in art, science, and technology. Yet, droplet motions have resisted classification. Here, we reveal a periodic table (PT) classification of droplet motion that is profound in implication and refreshing in originality. The classical PT of chemical elements is a synthesis of knowledge of monumental stature. This paper provides a parallel PT synthesis of ballistic droplet motions, demonstrates the techniques by which one can identify "motion elements," and introduces the wettability spectrometer, all enabled by a recent spectral theory of meniscus motions. In the realm of pedagogy, the simplicity of the droplet motion PT provides unique perspective on the chemical PT making concepts like chemical bonding and atomic orbitals more accessible.
- Publication:
-
Proceedings of the National Academy of Science
- Pub Date:
- March 2019
- DOI:
- 10.1073/pnas.1817065116
- Bibcode:
- 2019PNAS..116.4849S