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soap breaks the surface tension of water, because it interrupts the cohesive forces between the water molecules on the surface. a particularly sadistic test for this is to have a pondskater in a bowl of clear water. the pondskater 'walks' on the water because it is light enough to be supported by the surface tension of the water. drop a drop of fairy liquid into the bowl. the moment the fairy liquid touches the water, the pondskater will sink and drown, because the surface tension of the water has been disrupted and so the pondskater cannot support itself on the now nonexistant surface tension.

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How does liquid soap affect the surface tension of water?

it affects the surface tension because of its temperture


Why does dawn dish soap repel pepper?

Soap breaks the surface tension of water. Pepper will only float where there is strong surface tension.


Can you explain the soap and pepper experiment and its significance in demonstrating surface tension?

The soap and pepper experiment demonstrates surface tension by showing how soap disrupts the surface tension of water. When pepper is sprinkled on water, it floats due to surface tension. Adding soap breaks the surface tension, causing the pepper to move away from the soap. This experiment helps illustrate how surface tension works and how it can be affected by different substances.


How does soap effects the surface tension if water?

the surface tension has bonds, and the soap breaks those bonds, so if the soap water is put onto a surface.. it will slip off


Why does soap reduce the surface tension of water?

Soap will lower the surface tension of water. Like any surfactant soap will lower the surface energy by disrupting the strong inter-molecular hydrogen bonding that confers such a strong surface tension to water.


Why does dish soap repel peper?

Dish soap contains surfactants that lower the surface tension of water. When pepper is sprinkled on water with dish soap, the surface tension decreases, causing the pepper to move away from the soap and spread out on the surface. This repelling effect is due to the interaction between the dish soap and the water molecules.


Why does the pepper run away when soap is added?

Soap disrupts the surface tension of water. So if you have fine particles floating in water (I personally use parsley flakes, which float better than pepper does) and you put a tiny trace of soap on your finger, and then touch the water, it breaks the surface tension at that point - but the surface tension of the water on the OTHER side of the flake is unchanged. The surface tension pulls the flakes away from the soap. So the flakes aren't running away - they are being released from the surface tension!


Which has more surface tension clean water or soapy water?

Yes, pure water is a one molecule based structure, which hold together better than a mixture. When soap or other chemical is added, it breaks surface tension by getting in the way of each water molecule. Try putting water drops on a penny to build a bubble, then add a small drop of soap to it, you'll see that when soap is added, the water bubble collapses.


Is soap the only substance that can break the waters surface tension?

No, there are other substances that can break water's surface tension besides soap. Examples include detergent, alcohol, and vinegar. These substances are known as surfactants, which reduce the surface tension of water by interfering with the hydrogen bonding between water molecules.


Why does a blade sink on soapy water?

You can float a razor blade on water due to the 'Surface Tension' of the water. This is the tendancy of the water molecules to stay tightly together, which is why a water drop forms a 'hump' on a surface. Soap is a 'wetting agent', or surfactant. When you add soap to the liquid, the surface tension is drastically reduced, and the water molecules 'flow' around objects, like the razor blade. So, it sinks.


7 Can the water strider remain afloat in a high concentration of soap solution?

No. It cannot remain afloat in a high concentration of soap solution. The water strider relies on a property of water called surface tension. This is what keeps the creature above the water. In a soap solution, there is reduced surface tension and the strider would drown


Why does soapy water do not have surface tension?

Soapy water does have some surface tension to it but it is very negligible. However pure water have good surface tension due to strong hydrogen bonding. This is the reason a water strider bug can walk and paperclip will float on water.