Boiling water using high temperatures is pretty much the way that is known by everyone, because this is what we do when we use a kettle to make hot water for our tea and coffee, or when we put a pot over a fire to boil water to make soups and stews. However, it seems that scientists at at the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory based in Stanford University have come up with a new way: sound.
By using SLAC’s powerful X-ray laser, it seems that these scientists have managed to generate an underwater sound that is so loud that it instantly vaporizes water. Given that water molecules tend to move with increased speed when heated, it actually makes sense that a sound wave that is loud enough could achieve the same effect. If you’ve ever placed a cup of water near a subwoofer and seen it ripple, then this is the same concept, except magnified many, many times over.
According to the researchers, to achieve this level of sound, the sound pressure equivalent in this experiment was at 270 decibels. This makes it louder than a rocket launch and equal to the intensity of direct all electrical power from an entire city into one spot. At this point, it will also be capable of potentially rupturing your heart as well as your lungs. This experiment also goes on to set a threshold for how intense sound can be in the water.
Filed in . Read more about Science and Social Hit. Source: cnet