One for the physicists

[elanjacobs]

At my new job I've been running a gear shaper and I noticed some odd behaviour from the cutting oil

440416

As you can see, the oil is running off the rotary table, into more oil below and seemingly hitting the bottom and bouncing back out again. This pic is one of the very rare instances where it would bounce out, re-enter and bounce out AGAIN. Also, if the stream of oil was hitting the cutter in just the right way, it would send off balls of oil that would bounce along the surface of the oil sitting on the table.

My question is quite obvious... Why is this happening??

[Skew ChiDAMN!!]

Does this help explain it? (http://chaos.utexas.edu/people/faculty/harry-l-swinney/the-bouncing-jet)

[doug3030]

Does this help explain it? (http://chaos.utexas.edu/people/faculty/harry-l-swinney/the-bouncing-jet)

Thanks Skew. I knew of the affect but have never seen the reasons for it explained so well. :2tsup:

[damian]

I would have said surface tension and inertia. I can see a film of air being dragged along with it as reasonable and maybe that helps the stream or drop remain detached from the body of fluid.

I knew something about fluid flow decades ago but these days I'm just glad if I get to the bathroom in time...