The concept of capillary action dates back to the Renaissance period. The first recorded observation of this phenomenon was by none other than the polymath Leonardo da Vinci. His curiosity and keen observation skills led him to notice how water could defy gravity and climb up narrow spaces. Fast forward to the 17th century, and … Read more
The concept of the angle of contact is deeply rooted in the study of surface tension and capillarity. It was first introduced by the English polymath Thomas Young in 1805. Young was interested in understanding the forces that govern the contact between different phases—solids, liquids, and gases. Young’s work laid the foundation for the scientific … Read more
The concept of surface tension has fascinated scientists for centuries. The ancient Greeks first observed it, and one of the earliest recorded observations was by Hero of Alexandria, a Greek mathematician, and engineer, around 10 AD – 70 AD. He noticed the effects of surface tension in his experiments and inventions, such as the water … Read more
The concept of surface energy has its roots in the observations and experiments of many scientists over the years. It’s a story of curiosity and discovery that spans centuries. Long before the term “surface energy” was coined, people noticed that water behaved strangely at times. For example, water droplets form spheres, and some insects can … Read more
In the 18th century, a Swiss mathematician named Daniel Bernoulli was about to make a discovery that would change our understanding of how fluids behave. He was part of the famous Bernoulli family, a dynasty of mathematicians that had already made significant contributions to the field. In 1738, Daniel Bernoulli published a book called Hydrodynamica, … Read more
The concept of critical velocity has its roots in fluid dynamics and was developed to understand the behavior of fluid flow in pipes. It’s a fundamental concept that helps predict whether the flow will be smooth (laminar) or chaotic (turbulent). The concept of critical velocity is deeply rooted in the study of fluid dynamics, a … Read more
The concept of streamlined flow has been around for centuries, but it began to take shape with the work of scientists and mathematicians who were curious about how fluids move. People have always been fascinated by the movement of water in rivers and the way smoke rises in the air. Early civilizations had a practical … Read more
Imagine it’s the mid-19th century, and scientists are fascinated by how things move in fluids. This is where Sir George Gabriel Stokes, a brilliant British scientist, steps into the picture. In 1851, Stokes was pondering over the movement of tiny particles in fluids. He noticed that small things like pollen grains didn’t just zip through … Read more
The story of viscosity is quite fascinating and dates back to ancient civilizations, but it was not until the 19th century that significant strides were made in understanding this fluid property scientifically. The term “viscosity” comes from the Latin word “viscum,” which refers to the sticky sap of the mistletoe plant. This sap was used … Read more
Pascal’s Law states that when pressure is applied to a confined fluid, the pressure change occurs throughout the entire fluid equally and in all directions. This means that any external pressure on a fluid in a closed system will be felt equally at every point in that fluid. In the mid-17th century, a brilliant French … Read more