"E.Voiskunsky, I.Lukodyanov. The Crew Of The Mekong (англ.)" - читать интересную книгу автора

the specific properties of surfaces manifest themselves. Surface tension
produces forces that are always directed inwards. The tea in that glass is
in a state of tension. Its surface presses inwards from the top and bottom
and sides with a force of more than ten tons per square centimetre. Hence,
liquids are well-nigh incompressible. Until recently it was thought that
liquids could not be compressed at all. Or take solids. When we cut a piece
of clay with a knife we disunite whole worlds and form new surfaces. In the
process, energy is released."
"Just what lies under a surface?" Privalov asked.
"I don't know, my son. Nobody knows yet. How can you get under it? If
you scrape off a surface, another surface of the substance immediately
forms. It is the interface on which the interatomic forces that hold the
elements of a substance together interact with the ambient medium and
achieve a balance in some specific fashion. How? That is something we don't
yet know. But if we get to know it, then sooner or later we'll penetrate to
the heart of the matter. And once we have fathomed the secrets of surfaces
we will proceed to utilize the colossal force latent in them."
"Do you mean to say that my idea is too far ahead of the times?"
Privalov asked sadly.
"It well may be. Take an example which Shuleikin cites in his Marine
Physics. When an express train brakes suddenly the enormous kinetic energy
it releases is absorbed by the extremely thin surface layer of contact
between the wheels and brake-shoes, yet this does not seem unbelievable.
"Suppose," Bagbanly continued as he walked back and forth, "we succeed
in increasing the surface tension and-"
"You agree, Bakhtiar Muellim!" Privalov almost shouted.
"Don't be in such a hurry. I assume that it is possible-theoretically,
but not in reality."
"Why?"
"Because your oil 'sausage'-if you succeed in making one-will encounter
tremendous resistance as it moves through the water. Friction, my friend.
Friction is also a property of surfaces. The surface layers will tear away
from the inner layers, and the jet will disintegrate."
"Excellent," said Privalov. "That means we have another job-that of
reducing the friction."
Bagbanly dropped into an armchair and burst out laughing.
"You're wonderful, Boris," he said, wiping his eyes with his
handkerchief. "Both friction and surface tension are child's play to you.
You're even prepared to turn matter inside out."
"Well, I'll be going, Bakhtiar Muellim, " Privalov said with a sigh.
"Thanks for your advice."
The old man stared at him intently. "You know what? Take me in as a
member of the team on this project. I'll work on it out of curiosity. Who
knows what may come of it? But only on condition we don't go to extremes.
We'll concentrate on the underlying principles and nothing more."


CHAPTER NINE