We describe the first steps of spreading of a liquid droplet brought in contact with a solid that it wets completely. Usually, it is assumed that the dynamics of the droplet results from a balance between the spreading forces and viscosity. But before this classical stage, inertia resists to the motion, which leads to a very different dynamic law. We study experimentally the nature of this law, compare our results with recent theoretical predictions, and determine the duration of this inertial regime.

• Received 14 March 2003

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevE.69.016301