| | How Does a Liquid Wet a Solid? Hydrodynamics of Dynamic Contact Angles |
 | | The contact angle, the angle formed at the intersection of the solid and the fluid-fluid interfaces, is a key material property needed to determine the shape of the fluid-fluid interface. |
 | | This suggests that, in contrast to the static contact angle (see the first graph, preceding page), the dynamic contact angle is not a well-defined quantityit is not at all clear where on the interface one should apply the slope condition in order to calculate the interface shape. |
 | | Nevertheless, a dynamic contact angle is still necessary to calculate the interface shape in dynamic conditions, the pressure drop necessary to move a meniscus in a capillary tube, and the spreading dynamics of small droplets. |
| www.lerc.nasa.gov /WWW/RT2000/6000/6712rame.html (1245 words) |