Homematerials science

materials science

14 Articles
Yield Stress Fluids
Physics and Mathematics

Yield Stress Fluids: Where Solids Begin to Flow

A yield stress fluid behaves as a solid when undisturbed but flows once force exceeds a threshold called the yield stress.

Liquid Crystal Applications
Chemistry and Materials Sciences

Liquid Crystal Applications: From Flat Screens to Soft Robots

Liquid crystal applications range from the screens in phones and televisions to smart windows, biosensors, and soft robots.

Metamaterial Cloaking Technology
Engineering and Technical Sciences

Metamaterial Cloaking Technology: The Science of Invisibility

Metamaterial cloaking technology uses engineered materials to guide electromagnetic waves around objects, rendering them undetectable. From the 2006 first cloak to current research.

Vortex Shedding in Fluid Dynamics
Engineering and Technical Sciences

Vortex Shedding: How Fluid Flow Creates Oscillating Forces

Vortex shedding is the periodic release of alternating vortices from a bluff body in fluid flow, producing oscillating forces in the body's wake.

Lichtenberg Figure Patterns
Physics and Mathematics

Lichtenberg Figures: From Lightning Scars to Laser Printers

Lichtenberg figures are branching, tree-like shapes produced when high-voltage electrical discharges spread across or through an insulating material.

Isomerism
Chemistry and Materials Sciences

Isomerism: Why Mirror-Image Molecules Matter

Isomerism describes compounds that share a molecular formula but differ in structure or spatial arrangement, producing distinct chemical and biological properties.

Ferromagnetism in Materials
Chemistry and Materials Sciences

Ferromagnetism: The Quantum Force Behind Every Magnet

Ferromagnetism is a property of certain materials, most notably iron, cobalt, and nickel, that causes their atomic magnetic moments to align spontaneously, producing...

Fracture Mechanics in Engineering
Engineering and Technical Sciences

Fracture Mechanics: How Engineers Predict When Cracks Fail

Fracture mechanics is the engineering discipline that predicts how cracks in materials grow under stress and when that growth leads to failure.

Biomimetic Materials Design
Engineering and Technical Sciences

Biomimetic Materials Design: How Nature Builds Better

Biomimetic materials design is the practice of studying structures in living organisms and using those principles to engineer synthetic materials that replicate nature's...

Atmospheric Water Harvesting
Engineering and Technical Sciences

Atmospheric Water Harvesting: Pulling Drinking Water from Thin Air

Atmospheric water harvesting captures moisture from air and converts it to liquid water, using methods from ancient fog nets to modern sorbent materials...