Smooth sailing: Rough surfaces that can reduce drag
Friday, January 17, 2014 - 21:20
in Physics & Chemistry
From the sleek hulls of racing yachts to Michael Phelps’ shaved legs, most objects that move through the water quickly are smooth. But researchers have found that bumpiness can sometimes be better. They modeled the fluid flow between two surfaces covered with tiny ridges and found that even in turbulent conditions the rough surface reduced the drag created by the friction of flowing water.