The Powder Toy

Attracted oil on water

  • ttttr     21st June Member 0 Permalink
    When the water beneath the oil is heated from the bottom and turns into steam,
    why is the oil attracted to the boundary between the water and the steam?
  • resic     25th June Member 0 Permalink

    it's probably because steam has many empty holes and gets away very quick. The oil falls in these holes because of, well, gravity. When the oil bumps into the liquid water, it stops and stays there. Oil floats on water so that's the two sides: Oil falls down in steam and floats on water, that's why the most popular position is exactly inbetween. Tho I had problems recreating that, didn't see much of that effect.

  • ttttr     26th June Member 0 Permalink
    @resic (View Post) Take a look at this save data.

    https://powdertoy.co.uk/Browse/View.html?ID=3257802

    After 3 minutes, something similar appear like the water flowing
    around the drain when you pull the plug out of the bathtub.
  • resic     26th June Member 0 Permalink

    @ttttr (View Post)

     

    I don't see what you're talking about. The only thing I see is the effect I described before and some arc of water above the heat source (maybe that's what you need an explanation for?). Shortly after the arc appeared, all the oil burned away. And where did that plug/drain come from?

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