Shown above is the “Rayleigh Plateau instability” phenomenon. This image is an incredible example of aesthetics and science. I would like to mimic this for my “Get Wet” assignment. What you see here is a falling column of liquid, broken up into a series of droplets. This occurs when surface tension creates instability. This causes the radius to shrink and eventually break into droplets. You can predict the size of the droplets if the fluids initial radius and wavelength of its disturbances are known. This phenomenon is commonly observed in natural processes like raindrop formation and in various industrial applications, such as inkjet printing and the formation of emulsions. I really love how you can see the transition from the smaller droplets to the bigger droplets, and the specific pattern that’s formed.

Background information about the Rayleigh Plateau: https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/engineering/rayleigh-instability

Photographer credit: Shatakshi Sinha