Non-Newtonian Fluids are a subset of Fluid Mechanics.
Non-Newtonian fluids – Corn starch and water produces a goopy mixture that can be scooped up and dribbled with a spoon. Suddenly slam a fist down on the mixture, but the mixture doesn’t splatter; it momentarily becomes rock hard when acted on by a large force.
- dragging a spoon rapidly through the mixture will cause a ripping action.
- Stirring a non-Newtonian fluid can leave a “hole” behind. This will gradually fill up over time – this behavior is seen in materials such as pudding, oobleck, or sand (although sand isn’t strictly a fluid).
- Alternatively, stirring a non-Newtonian fluid can cause the viscosity to decrease, so the fluid appears “thinner” (this is seen in non-drip paints). There are many types of non-Newtonian fluids, as they are defined to be something that fails to obey a particular property.
- Cornstarch and water (video 2:34) – Their work examines the strange behavior of the cornstarch-water liquid, which instantly changes into a solid within the area of impact. The behavior of non-Newtonian liquids has puzzled scientists for decades,
- “silly putty” is hard and elastic under large forces but flows under small forces. Mold it into a ball and bounce it, and then leave on the lecture table; in ten or twenty minutes it will flow out under gravity.
What’s the problem?
Superman’s suit – Superman’s suit could have been made with fabric (perhaps Kevlar or nylon) that was impregnated with a dilatant fluid (video 5:19) – when applied to fabric like Kevlar, for example, prevents pointed weapons like spikes or ice picks from penetrating between its yarns, and generally helps to hold yarns and fibers in place during attacks from pointed weapons or projectiles
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