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Walking on water

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Mystericon:
I saw a program; "Braniac: Science Abuse" with Richard Hammond, which by the way is brilliant and I recommend it anytime. Anyway the man filled a swimming pool with a yellow liquid known as Custard [:D] When the pool was eventually filled someone tried to walk across it, and voila they reached the other side. The consitency of the custard allowed more wieght to be distributed over a smaller surface area allowing the person to walk on custard. It's not water, but it is custard! [:D]

sharkeyandgeorge:
sorry to correct you mysterican but it is not the consistancey of custard that enale you to walk on it but the fact that it is thixotropic and changes from liquid to a solid when force is applied. for quite a good kitchen experiment mix custard powder or corn flour and mix with a very little water when you cant stir it your there now you can pick it up in your hands shape it break it (it cracks like a solid) but keep it moving or it becomes a thin fluid and goes everywhere.

"your not paranoid if they're really after you"

rosy:
Actually, if people are being picky, cornflour is sheer thickening (thickens reversibly when a force is applied) rather than thixotropic. From here: http://www.lsbu.ac.uk/water/hyrhe.html
"Thixotropic liquids exhibit a time-dependent response to shear strain rate over a longer period than that associated with changes in the shear strain rate. They may liquefy on being shaken and then solidify (or not) when this has stopped."

Sorry, have been hit over the head with this one two many times when demonstrating to kids... blame the chemical engineers.

Mystericon:
[:p]

quote:Originally posted by sharkeyandgeorge

sorry to correct you mysterican but it is not the consistancey of custard that enale you to walk on it but the fact that it is thixotropic and changes from liquid to a solid when force is applied. for quite a good kitchen experiment mix custard powder or corn flour and mix with a very little water when you cant stir it your there now you can pick it up in your hands shape it break it (it cracks like a solid) but keep it moving or it becomes a thin fluid and goes everywhere.

"your not paranoid if they're really after you"
 

Same difference [:D]

wolram:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/4033725.stm

Well lizards can walk on water.

A born optomist

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