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Story summary
- Liquids can fracture like solids when stretched beyond a critical stress of 2 megapascals, a finding by Drexel University researchers published in Physical Review Letters.
- The study challenges the long-held view that fracturing is exclusive to solids.
- The researchers observed this behavior in liquids such as water and oil when their viscosity is sufficiently high.
- They plan to investigate the underlying mechanisms, potentially cavitation, and assess implications for hydraulics and 3D printing.
