Atom Breaks Rules, Beats Friction

[Kirk]

http://www.livescience.com/technology/0 ... nning.html

Scientists have found a molecule that can spin freely in liquid, clearing out water like a person swinging suitcases would clear a crowded room.

The molecule spins without causing friction [Video]. That shouldn't be possible, according to a chemical physics theory. The finding could alter the way scientists think about chemical reactions in liquids.

Researchers hit a drop of iodine cyanide and water with pulses from an ultraviolet laser, exciting one type of molecule to reconfigure into a small, peanut shape with a carbon atom on one end, a nitrogen atom on the other.

The molecule heated up to 8,000 degrees Fahrenheit (4,427 Celsius) and started spinning at a furious 270 trillion rotations per minute.

Outta my way

[trevie]

What speed do you think this is rotating? 270 x 10 e 12 looks quite a lot of spinning.

[mickegg]

I must say I'm always skeptical about these sort of "breakthroughs"..

How do you measure 270 trillion rotations per minute when it stops after 10 rotations...?

Mick

[trevie]

well to work it out,

work out how long it took to do 10 rotations, in this case it was

2.222 x 10e -12 seconds (pico seconds/trillionth of a second)

divide by 10 to see how long it takes to do one rotation.

which then gives you.

2.222 x 10e -13

invert this by 1/x

this gives how many rotation in a second.

which should be 4.5 x10e12 (4.5 trillion rotations)

x 60 seconds to give the whole minute.

2.7 x 10e 14 (270 trillion rotations a minute)

(270 x 10e 12)

I guess you need something that can measure something as fast as a trillionth of a second! which I haven't seen yet. (must be a light measuring tool)

[Fletcher]

I would guess they would have to use a laser & look for the frequency of an interference pattern or some such.

Otherwise someone with very good eyes & quick reactions.