New research has discovered the reason behind the difference in compression of full beverage cans and empty cans.
A team of researchers from the University of Manchester has discovered the physics behind a common internet curiosity: why full drink cans crush in an organized and standardized way under pressure, while empty ones collapse instantly and chaotically?
The , published in Communications Physics led and led by doctoral researcher Shresht Jain, sought to explain a phenomenon popularized by viral videos of hydraulic presses. While crushing an empty can often results in a sudden collapse, a full can behaves very differently, forming a series of evenly spaced grooves as it is squeezed.
“We were fascinated and published in the journal Communications Physics,” said Jain, noting that containers with liquids are common in everyday life and in industry.
To investigate, the team carried out experiments using beverage cans of different sizes, kneading them while recording the process. These observations were combined with mathematical modeling to better understand the mechanics involved.
Researchers found that cans filled with liquid, with or without gas, become deform in a highly predictable way. According to co-author Draga Pihler-Puzovic, the process typically begins with the formation of a fold near the center of the can. Thereafter, a sequence of regular folds develops, largely unaffected by variations in internal pressure.
This consistency suggests that the behavior is not unique to beverage cans, but rather a fundamental property of cylindrical metallic structures filled with liquid, refers to .
A key finding of the study is the role of a complex physical process known as homoclinic deformation. During compression, the metal alternates between softening and hardening, creating a gradual transition between stable states. This process naturally produces the characteristic ring-shaped pattern seen in crushed filled cans.
Although scientists already suspected that homoclinic deformation played a role in similar phenomena, obtaining direct evidence was difficult. The new findings provide rare experimental confirmation
The results can have practical applications in engineering, as understanding how and when materials begin to deform can help identify early signs of structural failure, improving safety in systems ranging from oil pipelines to storage tanks.
