Kids Web Japan

This liquid turns into a pudding-like state when it’s exposed to sound.

It’s a phenomenon that has never been seen before in the history of chemistry.

The discovery that liquid can harden with sound came by chance.

Since this discovery, Professor Naota Takeshi of Osaka University has spent many years studying the phenomenon closely. Eventually he found that once the fluid is exposed to sound and some of the molecules consolidate in response, other molecules gather around these molecules as well. In this way, the liquid instantly solidifies into a gel. It’s a bit like how children running around the playground will all line up when a teacher blows the whistle.

A molecule is the smallest unit of a substance that has chemical properties, so studying molecular clusters can have very useful results for humankind. It could lead to new knowledge about the workings of nature, as well as to ways of making products without harming the environment.

The findings introduced here are from research by Professor Naota Takeshi of Osaka University.

Courtesy of Professor Naota Takeshi of Osaka University

（Updated in November 2008）