tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-401164737462963207.post1618037974897026586..comments2024-03-28T00:14:10.834-07:00Comments on Ben Krasnow: How a liquid lens works (electrowetting)Ben Krasnowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04234629396863486242noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-401164737462963207.post-62397366341418033162012-05-12T09:32:04.445-07:002012-05-12T09:32:04.445-07:00Peter, yes that's the same lens. You can searc...Peter, yes that's the same lens. You can search my youtube channel for another video about that specific lens.Ben Krasnowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04234629396863486242noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-401164737462963207.post-59642639288904725312012-05-12T06:42:09.275-07:002012-05-12T06:42:09.275-07:00is your lens similar to this: http://www.technovel...is your lens similar to this: http://www.technovelgy.com/ct/Science-Fiction-News.asp?NewsNum=946<br />I have been interested in water lenses for a number of years. Would love to see a working examplePeter Barvoetsnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-401164737462963207.post-43188412658810459072012-03-02T14:07:35.058-08:002012-03-02T14:07:35.058-08:00The polar molecules rotate to align with the field...The polar molecules rotate to align with the field, but they're attracted because the field has a gradient. There's a net force in the direction of increasing field. There would be no net force in a uniform field because the forces on the opposite charges would cancel.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-401164737462963207.post-58545448476496394002012-02-29T10:53:45.231-08:002012-02-29T10:53:45.231-08:00Are you sure it's the polar nature of water th...Are you sure it's the polar nature of water that is causing this effect? I'm not very familiar with the physics behind contact angles, but with the running water experiment I'm quite sure the stream of a non-polar liquid would deflect just as well - two plates of a charged capacitor attract each other regardless of the material they are made of.<br /><br />Nice video though. I love watching your experiments.Tomažhttp://www.tablix.org/~avian/blog/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-401164737462963207.post-63288877265417196212012-02-28T08:57:12.251-08:002012-02-28T08:57:12.251-08:00Thanks for posting these videos Ben, they're r...Thanks for posting these videos Ben, they're really fantastic!<br /><br />I just wanted to point out that polar particles are only attracted towards the source of an electric field gradient. In a uniform electric field, both ends of the dipole will feel opposite and equal forces to one another, and so there will be no net force. (Same goes with magnets in magnetic fields). This might be a small point, but I think it is worth considering.<br /><br />Check out optoelectronic tweezers for an interesting practical application of trapping polarized molecules in electric field gradients. http://nanophotonics.eecs.berkeley.edu/research/oet/oet.htmAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-401164737462963207.post-51018804983180215472012-02-28T03:03:38.972-08:002012-02-28T03:03:38.972-08:00That's fantastic. I immediately had to try th...That's fantastic. I immediately had to try that comb trick. Works a charm. Very cool.<br /><br />If you're ever short of projects, maybe you could examine something of this nature:<br />http://virlab.virginia.edu/Nanoscience_class/labs/materials/UVA_super_hydrophobicity_lab_manual.pdf<br />I don't know about the public availability of the chemicals referenced in this, but the procedures don't look too difficult to this particular laymen's eye.<br /><br />Anyway, it occurred to me to wonder whether, if you used a sufficiently hydrophobic coating, you could make droplets 'jump' in reaction to the release of a strong electrostatic field.<br />Judging by the video at this link:<br />http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EOF7GpT1YtQ<br />...it seems like it might be possible--or if not that, perhaps some other neat tricks, perhaps with an array of HV switched electrodes? I don't know, just a wild idea.<br /><br />Of course that particular procedure is applied directly to a copper surface. I would suppose some additional dielectric coating, both chemically compatible and physically smooth enough, would need to be slipped in the middle somewhere.<br /><br />Keep the vids coming, Ben, they're awesome. Cheers!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com