Phenoxyethanol - Part 2 (explanation)

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phenoxy...
Steve Mould's Video: • Leaf boat powered by p...

[@piranha031091]

Not a specialist in fluid dynamics, just a regular chemist. If this were thermodynamically driven, I'd say it would imply the triple phase boundary where water, air and phenoxyethanol meet somehow constitutes a local energy minimum (hence why the system would form tendrils, thus maximizing the amount of that boundary). However, this is clearly not a system at equilibrium, so there are good odds this is purely kinetically driven. And in that regards, your explanation with the Marangoni effect does seem quite compelling.

[@NickMoore]

Thanks for the insight. I did actually try to measure if there was a significant temperature change during the dissolving process but neither my thermal camera nor my thermocouples were sensitive enough if there is one. Even without heating or cooling think the feedback loop of convection leading to a longer perimeter leading to more convection probably has some limit (probably to do with viscosity?) and that's why the droplets eventually get so thin that holes open up in the the middle and areas seem to drop straight down 3:10 into the water.

[@55Ramius]

Very interesting! Sorry I can not help with an explanation but glad to see another video from you. : )

[@NickMoore]

Glad you liked it, not being able to find an answer to a luestion within the first page of results doesn't happen very often.

[@NevinWilliams71]

Very fractalic! Cool video, as usual!

[@NickMoore]

Thanks, I really got stuck on this one for a while. I ended up just watching the clips over and over and making notes of every feature and trying to associate it with some cause.

[@StirlingLighthouse]

That's wild! Can't help but see a resemblance to the mandelbrot fractals set. Thanks for this. Very cool.

[@NickMoore]

I thought so too, there are loads of fractals in nature but not many look like the ones you see in a textbook.

[@unvergebeneid]

I think it has more resemblance to IFS fractals but yeah, it looks amazing!

[@NickMoore]

It reminded me a lot of the way big electric arcs form loops that expand out and then break off. No idea if there is an analog between them though. kzbin.info/www/bejne/fX7Ff2ykl5ikr80

[@inthefade]

@@unvergebeneid I was thinking of Julia set fractals, but I'm not familiar with IFS fractals, I'll have to look them up!

[@alexio5498]

Those really look like some kind of fractal

[@NickMoore]

I think they do qualify as a fractal as the more accurately you measure the interface the longer it gets.

[@killpidone]

Real world fractals neat!

[@NickMoore]

That's immediately what I thought too

[@killpidone]

@@NickMoore so cool thanks for uploading this video

[@subliminalvibes]

Thanks for sharing this. I can't help with an explanation either but I really enjoy your videos. 👍😎🇦🇺

[@NickMoore]

Glad you like them, hopefully I can get a few more done this summer.

[@401ksolar]

Fluid dynamics yes, mixed with a little gravity Dynamics, also affected by the traveling N particles coming from cosmic sources heading towards the core of the Earth where the greatest Gathering of n particles on Earth is at, similar effect occurs with water going down a drain clockwise in the northern hemisphere counter-clockwise in the southern hemisphere

[@TronSAHeroXYZ]

It kind of looks like electricity, so maybe its the magnetic forces between the poles of the atoms breaking apart, with a pattern that flows like electricity/magnetism. When you put your hand on a plasma globe, it has the same type of patterns as this material displays, in other words it is dissolving similarly to a plasma globe dissipation.

[@inthefade]

Almost looks like a Julia Set fractal.

[@joeldeslo854]

Regarding the unsaturated water rising up from convection currents. Do you see the same behavior in a very thin layer of water? If the water is too thin to circle under the droplet, then is there still a force to create fingers / arms?

[@NickMoore]

I didn't think to test with a shallow container, I'll try that next time I have everything set up. I did however add some mica powder to a deep container and could see the upward and outward flow directly.

[@inthefade]

This was also my first thought to test the idea of convection currents.

[@MassShadow9935]

I understand none of this, all I see is funny fractal and I click video

[@NickMoore]

I approve of this message.

[@M311Y]

Reminds me of fractals.

[@jcims]

qq, i purchased some from amazon but it doesn't float in water (edit: i remembered wrong, it floats but doesn't do anything it just lies there in a bubble like oil). i think it's got some kind of carrier (maybe glycerine) do you mind sharing where you got this?

[@NickMoore]

I got mine from eBay, it was listed as "Myoc phenoxyethanol liquid for preservative,used in skin moisturizer." It does seem really sensitive to contamination (I tried adding food colouring and the dissolving reaction didn't work at all).

[@jcims]

@@NickMoore yes!!! the contamination was the issue. i have well water and it just floats in it, but if i use water from the reverse osmosis it goes crazy so cool!!!! thanks! (btw i bought Mystic Moments Phenoxyethanol Preservative Liquid - 250g off of amazon for anyone else playing along from home)

[@Muonium1]

How can we give you money to make more physics videos

[@NickMoore]

The best thing is to just share my videos to people who you think might like them. I don't have as much time to spend making videos lately so Patreon isn't a great option and I'm not sure I want to get in on the KZbin premium stuff. Having a video go viral or even just get 15min of popularity is the best way to put a few bucks in my pocket without costing you anything.

[@beachboardfan9544]

Anyone have a link to the steve mold vid?

[@NickMoore]

Oops, added it to the video description.

[@beachboardfan9544]

@@NickMoore Awesome, thx!