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Physics

A slight curve helps rocks make the biggest splash

Researchers were surprised to find that a very slightly curved object produces a more dramatic splash than a perfectly flat one

By Alex Wilkins

1 August 2024

BG1BW6 A pebble dropping into a shallow stony pool.

Flat rocks may not deliver the most dramatic splash

Julian Brooks/Alamy

When you want to find a rock that will make the biggest possible splash, you might do well looking for one that is ever so slightly curved. This will produce the largest impact force when it hits water, according to a finding that overturns a long-held belief in physics.

The discovery was made by Jesse Belden at the Naval Undersea Warfare Center in Rhode Island and his colleagues, who set out to examine the idea that a flat object produces the greatest impact on water.

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