Can Kitchen Experiments Mimic the Casimir Effect and Surface Tension?

[ranyart]

In another thread there have been some interest in the Casimir Effect-Vacuum Force-Surface Tension.

In the old forum, there were many detailed discussions, suffice to say that where one does the experiment and environment of setup can have conflicting results of observation and prediction.

Firstly, you can mimic the Casimir effect over your kitchen Sink, so let's does some basic experimental test.

1)Take two comparable metal plates that have a highly polished surface, 4inches by 4inches would be ok(for those that cannot get two such metal plates, you can use two cosmetic mirror's of the same size ,"not cosmic" !)

2)Place one plate on the kitchen worktop, now holding the other plate, bring together by placing the one in your hand on top of the other, while still holding just one plate, try and lift into the air the plate that is on the surface top? Cant do it ?

3)Now place a small quantity of water in the center of the plate on worktop, now repeat the process above, and when you bring the plates together , press down the plate in your hand, with enough pressure as to distribute the water all across the surface of both plate's. Now , just holding the one plate by its edge as before,lift into the air,HEY PRESTO!

4)You have now combined Surface Tension-Vacuum Force-Casimir Effect , and you have defied gravity(which did not allow you to lift the worktop plate earlier).

You can experiment with different liquids, olive oil for instance.

There are a number of things going on here, the attraction of the plates have been increased to such an extent that the plates 'bond', therre are some other interesting experiments, you can try it using custard powder instead of Liquids, this will have a baring, as its seems the Solids, Liquids and Gases of states of matter are most important.

There are a number of technical notions, one is that there are Critical Surface interactions between different states of Matter, and there exists a 'Vapor' or 'SEMI-LIQUID' state when compacted surfaces are brought near by, this has been developed into a new inquiry of intermediate states of matter dubbed, Virtual Gas state.

But we will leave this for now, but to dwell on the experiment above, let's see what comes.

 

[eljose79]

Thank you for bringing up the topic of the Casimir Effect, Vacuum Force, and Surface Tension. I have studied these phenomena extensively and would like to share my thoughts on your experiment.

The Casimir Effect is a physical phenomenon where two uncharged metal plates in close proximity experience an attractive force due to the fluctuations of the electromagnetic field in the vacuum. This effect has been observed and studied in various experiments, including the one you have described above.

In your experiment, the addition of water or other liquids on the plates can indeed increase the attraction between the plates, as liquids have a higher dielectric constant compared to air, which enhances the Casimir force. This, combined with the surface tension of the liquid, can create a strong enough bond between the plates to defy gravity.

However, I would like to point out that this experiment only mimics the Casimir Effect in a very simplified way. In reality, there are many factors that can affect the strength and behavior of the Casimir Effect, such as the size and shape of the plates, temperature, and the presence of other materials.

Additionally, the Casimir Effect is not the only force at play here. Surface tension and vacuum force also contribute to the overall result. As you have mentioned, there are critical surface interactions between different states of matter, which can further complicate the situation.

I would also like to caution against drawing too many conclusions from this experiment. While it can provide a basic understanding of the Casimir Effect and its relationship with surface tension and vacuum force, it cannot be used to make definitive claims or predictions.

In conclusion, your experiment is a good way to visualize and understand the Casimir Effect, but it is important to keep in mind its limitations and the complexities of these physical phenomena. I hope this helps clarify some of the technical notions you have mentioned and encourages further exploration and discussion on this topic.