Surface tension driven flow of food dye in milk, modified by olive oil and salt.

By Taylor Powers for Spring 2014 Get Wet.
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Surface tension driven flow of food dye in milk, modified by olive oil and salt.

Milk and food dye move due to surface tension when dish soap is added. Bicarbonate of soda and vinegar adds the fizz.

The wake of a Qtip dragged through food dye in milk produces vortexes in its wake due to the confinement of the bowl.

Colored india ink diffuses slowly into water.

Milk dyed with highlighter ink curdles on contact with vinegar.

A stream of ranch dressing floats upward in a bowl of water, a short time after impact.

Dyed rubbing alcohol creeps upward through corn syrup, then mixes more rapidly with the water above.

Blue-dyed water poured into canola oil initially forms isolated bubbles.

Red and blue food dye penetrates a thick layer of oil on water.

A low speed suspension drop (here, dyed milk in sugar water) can create isolated vortex rings.