The Size and Shape of Raindrops - Sixty Symbols

All about how raindrops form and fall. Featuring Professor Mike Merrifield.
More links and info below ↓ ↓ ↓

Papers from this video...

STUDIES OF RAINDROPS AND RAINDROP PHENOMENA

THE DISTRIBUTION OF RAINDROPS WITH SIZE

Single-drop fragmentation determines size distribution of raindrops
10.1038/nphys1340

This project features scientists from The University of Nottingham

Sixty Symbols videos by Brady Haran

[frasersteen]

That flour-raindrop experiment is beautifully simple. Definitely should be done in schools a lot more.

[XsavioR]

These videos are like sitting down and having coffee with some extremely bright people, something everyone can benefit from. keep it up.
'

[borjadelarco]

I'm a Naval Architect. I've always been told at uni that the two resistances ships have to overcome are friction resistance and wave-induced resistance. Once or twice been told that wave-induced resistance was different from friction resistance because of surface tension...


But never quite understood why and that's something this video addresses perfectly. Hydrogen bonds cause water molecules to stay together, and that gives rise to this potential energy on the very surface (or the boundary layer between two fluids, in this case, water and air). This channel is just one marvellous thing for all of the curious people who love science and don't really have someone to learn from or talk to about it.


Froude was right and didn't even know why!


PS: now friction resistance which encompasses tons of different resistances like pressure resistance, viscous resistance, viscous pressure resistance, etc is a whole world apart... *As Sir Horace Lamb would put it: **_I am an old man now, and when I die and go to heaven, there are two matters on which I hope for enlightenment. One is quantum electrodynamics and the other is the turbulent motion of fluids. About the former, I am really rather optimistic._*

[ParkerUAS]

Having been a pilot for many years and flying through various inclement weather situations I have the following observations to bounce off the physicists.

1. There is time for the rain drip to cycle through the various sizes due to updrafts. A perfect example is a hail stone. It starts small and freezes at height, then falls and picks up water on the surface. It gets picked up again and refreeze. Like an onion it has layers and each layer is a trip through the storm. The stronger the storm, the more layers and larger of the hail. Therefore, if the storm is the same as a hail storm, but the water doesn't freeze, why wouldn't it still go through the cycle?

2. Flying through the mid level of nimbostratus is where I have hit what I would consider the largest raindrops I have seen. At those points it sometimes is like going through a sheet of water, there doesn't seen to be individual drops just a wall of water to punch through.

[marksimpson]

Im so grateful to Brady and Professor Merrifield for making these clips. Interesting science!

[Kyle-liwi]

This is exactly the information I have been searching for most my life. I just did not know it. But now that I do, I am happy.

[emarsk]

I love the relaxed chat vibe of this channel.

[cpt_nordbart]

Reminds me of Douglas Adams book.. I think it was"So Long and Thanks for the Fish"... With a truck driver who is constantly in rain. And has his own scale of different rain types.

[KepaTairua]

I've been missing sixty symbols vids! Always love a Professor Mike vid as well.

[Pendoza]

Seems i am watching this channel for quite so time now. For the first time I notice the professor is turning old! I hope he stays well for a long time. I always love listening to his explanations. It makes it look so easy (until you do the math).

[Jesse__H]

That was a really good explanation of surface tension, that makes a lot of sense.

[clockwardkailleach]

Ahaha, brilliant! I'm really getting back into these science education videos now that my own education has hit a bit of a speed bump.

[AverageBrick]

Great video, really well paced as well!

[urbaniv]

Just yesterday my son asked me about clouds and rains and ping... With almost perfect timing this great video pops up thx

[michaelc]

Hi Brady,
I would love to see some follow up videos with the professors. It could be interesting to hear how developments such as gravitational wave astronomy and just the passage of time may have modified previous statements / answers to your questions.

[keynesonsteroids]

Interesting and the surface tension energy was well explained. Thank you for making this video!

[Nobe_Oddy]

That was FASCINATING! I NEVER would have guessed that when raindrops get too big they basically explode from the "rising" air flow!! That's COOL!!!

-First time I watch a video = LIKED!
-First time I liked a video = SUBSCRIBED!!

I just CANNOT WAIT to explore the rest of your videos!!! Wo0T-W0oT!!

[abdesakib]

I'm amazed by Brady's question. They are so precise

[DANGJOS]

Fascinating! He should talk about the weather on other planets too. For example, he could talk about how raindrops of liquid methane on Titan would fall differently than on Earth.

[avinotion]

Merrifield is by far my favorite physics professor