According to Wikipedia:
Non-Newtonian fluid is a type of fluid whose flow properties differ in any way from those of Newtonian fluids. Most commonly the viscosity (resistance to deformation or other forces) of non-Newtonian fluids is dependent on shear rate or shear rate history. However, there are some non-Newtonian fluids with shear-independent viscosity, that nonetheless exhibit normal stress-differences or other non-Newtonian behaviour. Many salt solutions and molten polymers are non-Newtonian fluids, as are many commonly found substances such as ketchup, custard, toothpaste, starch suspensions, paint, blood, and shampoo. In a Newtonian fluid, the relation between the shear stress and the shear rate is linear, passing through the origin, the constant of proportionality being the coefficient of viscosity. In a non-Newtonian fluid, the relation between the shear stress and the shear rate is different, and can even be time-dependent. Therefore, a constant coefficient of viscosity cannot be defined.
Did any of you get that? I didn’t.
This was a snippet from our dinner conversation last night:
Don’t ask me how we got on the topic of non-Newtonian liquids. I have no idea, but there was a discussion about them (my only contribution, “I have no idea what a non-Newtonian liquid is.”) before it all degenerated into mayhem.
Joey: “Well, liquid water also has some non-Newtonian characteristics. From a certain distance, it doesn’t behave as a liquid, but as a solid.”
Andrew: “That’s right. If you fall into it from really high up, it’s like landing on cement.”
Me: “Yup.”
Sam: “You don’t want to bellyflop. That would hurt!”
Me: “That’s right. If you fell into water from a high altitude, you’d probably turn yourself into an exploded bag of guts. You’d be dead.”
Sam: “What if you make a perfect dive into it? Could you break the surface tension and survive?”
Joey: “Hmm. Yes, I think so.”
Me: “If you dove into water from a distant height in a classic diver’s pose, would you break your fingertips?”
Joey: “You might. But at least you wouldn’t break your head. You would survive.”
Sam: “Not if you landed in a shark’s mouth.”
The preposterousness of that image cracked us all up.
Andrew and Joey come to the same conclusion almost simultaneously: “If you dove into a shark’s open mouth from that distance, you would go through him like a bullet and come out the other end! The shark wouldn’t kill you; you would kill the shark!”
(I’m thinking, actually, there’d probably be mutual killing happening, but I keep quiet.)
Sam: “Ewww! That would be disgusting! You’d get all dirty with shark guts.”
Joey: “Nope. You’d shoot right through him and end up in the water.”
Me: “At a certain distance, would water be more solid than shark?”
Joey: “Come to think of it, you would shoot right through him, but you’d probably have to go through his shark genitals. You’d probably get shark semen all over you.”
Sam: “EWWW, JOEY!!! I’m eating!” She pushes her plate of pasta away from her. Not anymore.
Me: “Who wants cupcakes for dessert?”
This poor guy did a bellyflop off a 10m board into some non-Newtonian fluid.
Open wide! I’m coming through!
In the world of parenting, you have to go with what works.
Zoo Koo 