Material Properties and How to Change Them?

[Nautolian 10]

Alright, I have this awesome idea for something in my head, and I need a special material for it, I am not sure where to find such a material. How might I chemically make a material that can alter its shape by conducting voltages through it. For example. Raise a part when a high voltage is run through it and lower a part when low voltage is put through it. Or something along those lines. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

-The Nautolian

[chemhelper 10]

An easier (and probably cheaper) method of altering shapes would be using magnetic fields instead. If you take a wire and place it in a magnetic field a force will act upon the wire, bending it in a direction corresponding to the direction of the magnetic field.

 

What is your idea so that a more suitable way can be found

[Nautolian 10]

Well... I can't tell you everything, but it involves making real time 3-D models by having a computer output some type of force along a grid to alter the shape of a perferably soft material. (like in X-Men if anyone's ever seen it).

[insane_alien 840]

okay, apart from inside a meta materials lab and a research budjet your not going to be able to get your hands on anything that can move a noticable distance when voltage is applied. and even then we are nowhere near complex 3-d models, we can make a height map and thats about it.

[John Cuthber 3814]

I think this

http://www.mutr.co.uk/prodDetail.aspx?prodID=1194

thing about memory alloys is about as close as you will get.

[Nautolian 10]

Well, suppose I can't get my hands on any of those things. Is there a way to predict how elements would combine to get the ideal characteristics? Or do I have to test possibilities?

[Klaynos 739]

I would suggest an investigation of magnetostriction might be good...

[Nautolian 10]

Alright, thanx. I've redone my idea, but have yet another question... What is the effect where when objects are placed in water, they float to the edge of the container and "stick" together. Sort of like a phobia... Then can that be applied to say gasses and other substances???

[John Cuthber 3814]

A spot of searching for "surface tension" might help you here.

[Heimo 10]

More like cohesion I would say, water's h-bonds would isolate the particles and constantly push them so that they are surrounded by the least number of water molecules- the edge. I don't know what it's called exactly.