Water Drop

Actual Elapsed Time: 7/10ths of a second

A drop of water falls into a dish of water and a plume of liquid forms. We think of water as soft and formless, but, in fact it is very strong and resists being broken apart. There are forces that hold water together, just as there are forces that hold metal and wood together. By slowing down the action to one tenth normal speed, you can see the forces at work in this scene. The impact of the drop disturbs the surface of the water in the dish, and even tries to break it apart. Instead of breaking, the water in the dish rebounds and forms a plume of liquid - a compromise between the force of impact from the drop and the forces that hold the water together.

How This Clip Was Made:

This slow-motion video was created using a special video camera that takes 250 images a second, as opposed to only 30 images a second for a normal video camera. The video was then digitized and transferred to a computer. Production: Paul Shain, Bob Hone, Heidi Frieze. Post-Production: Brennan Doyle. Special Thanks: Dick Freeborg, NAC Visual Systems.

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