Cracking the Code of Oobleck: Unraveling the Mystery of its Dual Nature
Scientists at the University of Chicago have used dense suspensions of piezoelectric nanoparticles to study the molecular behavior of oobleck, a non-Newtonian fluid that can behave as both a liquid and a solid. Oobleck's viscosity changes in response to applied strain or shearing force, making it a shear-thickening fluid. The researchers developed a mathematical model to predict the transition of oobleck from liquid to solid and back again, taking into account factors such as particle size and electrical charges. Computer simulations of previous experiments confirmed the accuracy of the model's predictions.