News in Brief Physics

Water droplets spontaneously bounce, sans trampoline

water droplets

TRAMPOLINING H2O  A water droplet initially at rest bounces higher and higher in this time-sequence image.

T. M. Schutzius, G. Graeber, D. Poulikakos

By Andrew Grant

- More than 2 years ago

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When in a tough spot, some water droplets bounce their way to freedom.

Initially stationary droplets on an extremely water-repellent surface such as etched aluminum bounce as if on a trampoline, researchers at ETH Zurich reveal in the Nov.