Date/Time
Date(s) - 01/03/2023
3:30 pm - 4:30 pm

Guest: Dr. Zhao Pan
Assistant Professor, Waterloo University
https://uwaterloo.ca/mechanical-mechatronics-engineering/profile/z79pan

Host: Dr. Paul Higgs / Dr. Kari Dalnoki-Veress

Title: Bubbles and Droplets: looking through the lens of the curiosity

Abstract:

This talk will cover two research topics (bubbles and droplets) initiated when looking at daily life through the lens of curiosity. i) A common lab ‘disaster’ is when a test tube filled with chemical solution drops on the floor. The test tube cracks and the liquid in it spills and splashes. But what happens there? The actual physical process of this failure is a bit counterintuitive. It is not the moderate impact itself that breaks the glass. Instead, the impact-induced high acceleration causes the cavitation bubble(s) to grow and collapse in the liquid, which cracks the glass. ii) Why a dog lifts one of its hind legs when peeing against a tree or wall? We found that this is a smart practice because it can reduce urine splashback. Inspired by dogs, and nautilus shells, we designed splash-free urinals for humans by embedding the physics of droplet impact, solving differential equations, and carefully considering accessibility for people of different length scales.