New research shows the motion of water molecules

A new approach to studying water viscosity has revealed new insights into the behavior of water molecules and can open the way for liquid electronics to be manufactured and applied in the future. hybrid

A group of researchers led by Oak Ridge National Laboratory in the Department of Energy uses a high-resolution X-ray scattering technique to measure close bonding involving a hydrogen atom sandwiched between two integers. oxygen. This hydrogen bond is a quantum mechanical phenomenon responsible for the different properties of water, including viscosity, determining its ability to resist water or its ability to change its shape.

New research shows the motion of water molecules Picture 1

While water is the most abundant substance on earth, its behavior at the molecular level is not well understood.

Research by a scientific group published in Science Advances has demonstrated that they can explore the dynamics of water and other liquids in real time. Previous studies have provided photographs of the atomic structure of water, but few know how water molecules move.

To get a clearer picture, the ORNL-UT team used an advanced X-ray technique called inelastic X-ray scattering to determine molecular motion. They found that the dynamics of oxygen-oxygen-to-oxygen interactions between the water molecules were completely random but also highly coordinated. When the water molecules link is interrupted, strong hydrogen bonds will maintain a stable environment for a certain period of time.

"We find that the time required for a molecule to change its" neighbor "molecule will determine the viscosity of the water," Egami said. This new discovery will stimulate further research on controlling the viscosity of other liquids.

Egami sees his current work as a springboard for further research, which will promote neutron scattering techniques to further determine the origin of viscosity and other kinetic properties of liquids.

The researchers' approaches can also be used to describe molecular behavior and viscosity of ionic, or salt water, and other liquids, helping to develop semiconductor devices. New with liquid insulation layer, better battery.

See more:

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2. Why hot water freezes faster than cold water
3. Concussion conclusions: In addition to 3 solid, liquid, water gas, there is a fourth state