FREE ESSAY ON SCIENTISTS DISCOVER THE FORCES THAT GIVE GECKO'S THEIR ADHESIVE PROPERTIES

SCIENTISTS DISCOVER THE FORCES THAT GIVE GECKO'S THEIR ADHESIVE PROPERTIES

Scientists Discover the Forces that Give the Gecko its Strong Adhesive Properties
To better understand the adhesive properties of the gecko, scientists have discovered new
data that explains how the gecko can attach itself to almost any surface. They
specifically studied the Tokay gecko (Gekko gecko). Researchers at the University of
Berkley, have been working on discovering how the gecko can walk on almost any surface
without falling off or leaving any residue. This research has yielded new data that has
given researchers new ideas about adhesive technology. The researchers had to design
special micro-instruments to measure the extremely small forces perpetuated by the small
hairs, or setae, on the geckos' feet. They found that at the end of these setae there are
small pads, or spatulae. Geckos can have anywhere between hundreds to thousands of these
setae on each foot. The data gathered indicated that the forces responsible for the
geckos' adhesive properties were Van der Waals forces. By definition, Van der Waals
forces occur when two surfaces become extremely close to one another so that their
respective electronegativity causes them to bind with a great amount of strength. The
spatulae can get extremely close to the surfaces upon which geckos walk and this allows
the Van der Waals forces to hold with an exponential amount of energy. Being stuck to the
surface has not been the root of the problem. It was more important to the researchers to
find out how the gecko can get free of the Van der Waals forces so quickly. They reported
that geckos adhere and remove these forces up to 15 times a second. It was discovered
that the gecko uses a special technique of peeling its feet off at approximately a 30
degree angle with each step. This new discovery gives scientists hope for developing new
technology in powerful adhesion without residue.