| Secure a piece of paper to a flat, horizontal surface such as a table top. |
| Apply some paint to the surface and place another piece of paper on top of the paint. |
| Apply pressure to the top piece of paper, flattening the paint to a thin layer. |
| Lift off the top piece of paper and note the branching pattern. |
Experimental parameters include
| * | viscosity of the paint |
| * | stiffness of the paper |
| * | direction and speed of lifting the top piece of paper |
| * | reprocessing times and directions |
By reprocessing we mean replacing the top piece of paper, applying pressure, and removing the top piece again. This can be repeated several times, and at each repetition the top paper can be replaced in the same orientation, or rotated some relative to its previous placement.
These experiments can be quantified by
Once scanned, box-counting can be used to estimate the dimension of the longest branch.
A bit of reflection should yield other experiments. The sample shows an interesting direction taken in recent student projects.
Return to Finger Paint Lab.