We all agree that beer is the one of the greatest drinks but do you know why coffee spills more than beer spills out of mug? You do not need to think much about it. Physics is here to explain it for you. Aside from its wonderful taste, beer also has its own anti spill mechanism.
Engineering Experts: The Anti-Spill Mechanism’s Secret is Physics (Source: Giphy)
While carrying beer from the bar, Alban Sauret of the Princeton University noticed that rarely does beer spill out of the glass. Similar thing was also noticed in the lattes, so he set out to look for the reason behind it.
They mixed glycerol and surfactants to make some measurable foam. They created a contraception through which they could pump in to create few layers of small bubbles. Shaking the container a bit, they created waves and recorded it in a high speed camera.
Just then, they discovered the fact about beer that the height of the waves created were almost ninety percent of the drink. Also, they found out that only 3 mm of foam over the liquid is enough to dampen the motion of the liquid and prevent sloshing.
So when the bartender serves you a pint of beer, tiny movements are already created in the beer. In case the waves that are created are fairly large, then the beer is sure to spill. However, the foam that is already there over the beer shortens the waves by grabbing on the edge of the container.
Well, certainly spilling beer is not a big issue, but spilling while transporting liquids like oil and liquid gases is a very important concern. If the liquids spill too much when it is in the truck they might destabilize the truck and cause it to break. With this idea, truck companies may need to add some foam and save themselves from the spillage hassle.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r2zqG3JnytU]
Engineering Experts: The Anti-Spill Mechanism’s Secret is Physics (Source: Dnews)
