Rayleigh-Bénard convection cells

[@geroldfirl]

At 1:42 you describe the parameter alpha as the thermal conductivity of the oil; it's actually the thermal diffusivity (conductivity over density times specific heat). Great video anyway!

[@poobertop]

Awesome, that's some sick footage. I wish I could get that in 1080p, but it's probably because the video was only just uploaded. Thanks for sharing, as always.

[@NickMoore]

+poobertop I only upload at 720 because of my connection speed and render times, sorry.

[@sou9889]

Thank you for the excellent explanation!

[@NickMoore]

Thanks, glad you liked it.

[@bubblezovlove7213]

Brilliant! I came here after seeing this in a cup of chammomille tea I made.... 🙂

[@NickMoore]

I think tea is the first place I have seen this as well. Thanks!

[@KallePihlajasaari]

Any wild speculations about what sort of temperatures and time scales would be required to form rock formations like the Giants Causeway columns?

[@Matt-uf2nc]

really cool and nice explanation!

[@NickMoore]

Thanks!

[@FredMiller]

Fascinating!

[@NickMoore]

I thought so too. I should try again with different liquids.

[@jcims]

Try 1/4"-1/2" of milk + liquid food coloring and maybe a couple drops of dish soap. The little mica particles are very cool, i've never been able to see the flow. Love the IR shot as well. Great vid!

[@NickMoore]

Thanks, I'm trying to remember to use all the equipment I can (when applicable). The mica is cheap when bought from "over seas" and it takes very little to get the rheoscopic effect. I wonder if the dish soap would interfere with the cells as it would significantly lower the surface tension.

[@devjock]

Ah, so that;'s what happens when I turn on the hot water for about 10 seconds, then fill the sink with thick vape clouds. Granted, the temperature difference is much smaller, or all the vapor just swirls out of the sink, but I got some cells forming reliably. Thanks for the science dude!

[@MadOnions]

This looks like the same effect you see on the surface of the sun... Interesting!

[@NickMoore]

+MadOnions I thought so too, like a timelaps of sun spots.

[@pinguinauta9353]

Super interesante!

[@1.4142]

This convection is the cause of those hexagonal shaped chunks on salt in bolivia's salt flats.

[@KENNETHUDUT]

Bermuda Triangle solved with this - thank you!

[@NickMoore]

Ha! Glad you liked it!

[@marcuantonio]

Beatiful!

[@nathanlin0429]

Hi! What ratio of mica powder to silicon oil did you use? Great video 🔥

[@NickMoore]

@@nathanlin0429 I used very little powder, like less than 1% by volume. I didn't want to interfere with the viscosity of the oil at all.

[@reidbyron7662]

Saw this in miso soup the other day. Happen to recall what size mica you used?

[@Fid0n]

Great footage and explanation. Thanks! Could this mechanism also be responsible for honeycomb like structure of re-solidified coconut oil and basalt columns?

[@NickMoore]

I'm not sure, in columnar jointed basalt the fractures occur while it cools so it may be that the shape was set as the liquid rock solidified.

[@vanweefrancis]

The chemical equivalent : kzbin.info/www/bejne/f3PEZZ6dja5neck&t=49s

[@Uncle_Buzz]

Time to drop the fries! Cheers, Chris.

[@NickMoore]

+CrossWood I'm more sure how silicone-mica fries would taste, might be interesting to watch though!

[@Gaston-Melchiori]

Hank Green lead me to this video :D

[@Robert_McGarry_Poems]

Thank you for this. How am I just now finding it.

[@daiwikshah2608]

Hi, I was trying to repeat the experiment, but the temperature difference value I got was really small. Am I doing something wrong? My values were in SI unit, so I am slightly confused

[@jaxnean2663]

Similar to what happens to the earth's mantle!

[@NickMoore]

+Jax Nean I hadn't thought of that, interesting!

[@chrisgoldbach4450]

My coconut oil is doing this. I wonder if this has anything to do with producing marijuana "crystals or diamonds"

[@NickMoore]

When coconut oil freezes it contracts, if it's done slow enough it will form a pattern, normally hexagons. It is analogous to the way columner jointing is formed in rocks like "The Giants Cosway"

[@サマンサバサバサ-q7l]

むずかしいことゆうやん