FerroFluids

        Lets talk about something interesting today. That thing is the marvel of ferrofluids. Ferrofluids are basically magnetic particles suspended within a liquid median using a surfactant. This creates a part liquid, part solid substance that displays superparamagnetism. What? Well in much simpler terms, a ferrofluid is a combination of two states of matter. The solid is connected to the liquid using the surfactant, which basically connects the liquid to the solid. A simple example of this is how soap is able to attach oil with water. Besides that, the surfactant is also the thing that is used to keep the magnetic particles from attaching to each other. Now, we reach the biggest word, superparamagnetism. This word simply means that all the particles are so small that they only have one magnetic dipole, meaning they all ether have a south or north pole. Or just a pole in general since you cant have only a south pole. There are a lot of things that can be done with ferrofluids. In fact maybe you have seen one of those cool towers made from them. 

                                     Strangely symmetric aren't they?

And while those things are cool, they don't really have an practical applications. And knowing what the topic of this blog is, lets give an example of some of the interesting symmetrical stuff that is being test about ferrofluids. 

       The first article is titled Effect of MFD Viscosity and Porosity on Revolving Axi-symmetric Ferrofluid with  Rotating Disk. The name may seem complicated, but it is actually quite simple. First, MFD stands for magnetic field-dependent. To start with, when ferrofluid is rotated, it will usually always display y-axis symmetry or axi-symmetric characteristics. Just look at the pictures above if you don't believe me. So, some scientists decided to apply an outside magnetic field to a ferrofluid that was rotating and in symmetry in order to see 3 things. First, how would its viscosity change, its porosity change, and would the ferrofluid even stay symmetrical. While the last tenet doesn't need defining, the first two do. Viscosity is something's willingness to flow. Porosity is the empty space in something. At the end of the experiment, it was found that despite all the variables that were changed the ferrofluids tended to act in a similar manner no matter what. The thing that I take form this however, is that symmetry is very hard to get rid of, no matter the velocity of the spinning, viscosity, or porosity. 

        It is important to remember why this stuff is so symmetric. And just in case you were unable to gather why from the beginning of this post, I will restate it here. Ferrofluids are not just liquids. They have small magnetic solids just floating around in them. And all these things are very easily influenced by a magnetic field. A magnetic field itself, usually goes from north to south. When the ferrofluids are exposed to one, they are go to a position dictated by the field itself. The surfactant keeps them from getting to close, and there you go, constant y-axis symmetry. Thanks for reading.