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Molecular simulations uncover why water nanodrops spread thin on hydrophilic surfaces
- June 19, 2026 at 9:00 AM
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Why does water roll off a duck's back but spread on clean glass? For macroscopic (millimeter-scale) drops, this behavior can be explained using continuum theory. However, when nanoscale (10–9 mm) droplets spread on surfaces, a force called line tension becomes relevant and mysteriously changes sign. Questions about the nature of this force and its relevance to water's interaction with surfaces have remained unanswered.
Originally published at Phys.org