Sound Waves Make Liquids Levitate, Develop Better Drugs [VIDEO]

 By 
Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai
 on 
Sound Waves Make Liquids Levitate, Develop Better Drugs [VIDEO]

[brightcove video="1845610082001" /]

Liquids can levitate, thanks to the magic of science.

Researchers at Argonne National Laboratory have designed a device, fittingly called acoustic levitator, that uses two speakers that generate sound waves in order to make small droplets of liquids float. The high-power sounds waves, which are imperceptible to the human ear, interfere with each other and create what's called a "standing wave," a place where liquids effectively get trapped and stand still.

Researchers hope this experiment will help develop amorphous drugs. These type of drugs require a smaller dose to reach the desired effects, and thus have gentler side effects. Normally, however, drugs have a crystalline structure because it's harder to produce amorphous ones.

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