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When a container of mixed nuts is shaken, the largest nuts rise to the top. This phenomenon is known as the ‘Brazil nut effect,’ and there are a couple of mechanisms at play. Or: “Making physics fun with snacks.” 🧵⬇️

15/1/26, 7:18 pm34 reposts167 likes

kerneweger.bsky.social

@kerneweger.bsky.social

15 Jan

It's rather like current politics. The biggest nut-cases have risen to the top (or, at least, prominence) thanks to USA tech bros, sociopaths, psychopaths, megalomaniacs and would-be global rulers with the agenda of by-passing all democracy and political processes.

Alan Stedman

@alanjstedman.bsky.social

19 Jan

Just mentioned this to my wife as neither of us had heard this before and then after a few seconds she said, I suppose it's like using a sieve in the kitchen So I think: why didn't I think of that! 😬 Now I know why I married her 🤗❤️

Encyclopaedia Britannica

@britannica.com

15 Jan

The first mechanism is called percolation. When you shake the container, small pieces fall into the spaces left by the large pieces, creating a compact base for the large pieces (or nuts) to sit on. The more you shake, the higher the big pieces rise.

Encyclopaedia Britannica

@britannica.com

15 Jan

We’re also dealing with granular convection, which is when particles rise in the middle and sink at the walls. When particles are differently shaped, the larger particles rise to the middle, but are too big to fall back down the sides.

Encyclopaedia Britannica

@britannica.com

15 Jan

There are other factors at play in the Brazil nut effect, including: - particle density - the shape of the container - friction on the walls of the container All of those work together to deliver… the Brazil nut. Don’t worry, you don’t have to eat them.