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Frictionless Motion Observed in Water
In an experiment performed by chemists, a water sample containing cyanide molecules, each of which is basically a molecular stick with a carbon atom at one end and a nitrogen atom at the other, are spun with a laser. Within the first quarter-turn, each rotating cyanide molecule creates a shock wave that throws back the surrounding water molecules. Inside the resulting bubble, the molecule will then continue whirling for a time with essentially no friction.
Although researchers say the discovery has no immediate practical use, it does impact how they think about the vast majority of chemical reactions--90 percent of which take place in liquid solutions.
This image accompanied NSF press release, "Frictionless Motion Observed in Water."
Credit: Nicolle Rager Fuller, National Science Foundation
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