Splashing of a Water Drop

Abstract

Measurements have been made of the number of spray droplets produced by the impact of a water drop on water, and of the charge to mass ratio for these droplets. For a drop 3 millimeters in diameter, the number of spray droplets increases linearly with the fall-distance of the drop over the range 10 to 200 centimeters. When the drop falls 100 centimeters, about 25 spray droplets are produced. The majority of the droplets carry a negative charge, and the ratio of the charge to the mass varies from 4 to 28 electrostatic units per gram.