How a Falling Water Droplet Rebounds on Impact
A drop striking a flat, uniform surface splashes outward equally on every side
Leonardo observes the behaviour of a droplet striking a smooth surface of equal density and flatness: it rebounds at the edges of its mark, spreading beyond its circumference by an equal distance on every side, and the reverse holds as well. The note treats the impact of falling water as a symmetrical, measurable event. The e-Leo catalogue records that it was first sketched in pencil and afterward retraced in pen.
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Symmetrical rebound of a droplet on a surface of equal density and flatness
Leonardo states that a droplet falling onto a place of equal density and flatness rebounds at the edges of its trace, extending beyond its own circumference by an equal distance in all directions. He adds that the converse likewise holds. The observation frames the splash of a water drop as an even, quantifiable spreading of the liquid.