🚀 go-pugleaf

frank@rover.uchicago.edu (Frank - Hardware Hacker - Borger) writes:


>	The hypothesis is very simple. The spoon must interfere with the
>	nucleation process. Hypothesis expansion follows:

>	A/ Spoon collects bubbles (we've all seen this,) and slows down the
>	   rate of bubble formation by trapping the bubbles due to increased
>	   surface tension.

>	B/ Spoon collects bubbles, and resultant supply of microscopic dust
>	   particles which are sources of nucleation. (Normally after bubble
>	   bursts, dust particle drops down, becomes source of another bubble,
>	   but particle adheres to spoon, no longer is active nucleation site.)

>	Ok folks, now what?

I am no physicist, alas, but, in case A/, what would cause the increase in
surface tension? The handle of the spoon does not normally touch the
surface of the liquid. (This is probubbly a silly remark of mine, in
my unwashed ways, I'd think that the spoon touching the liquid would
decrease surface tension...)

I used to, still do, think that it had to do with ionization -- a sort
of weak electrolytic effect. But again, I am a complete ignoramus in
those matters. It's curiosity that prevents me from keeping my mouth
shut.