It weakens the surface tension of water allowing us to blow BUBBLES!! :D
Decrease
There is an effect on Surface Tension when detergent is put in the water. I am doing an experiment for my upcoming Science fair and i am doing a Detergent Powered Boat/Surface Tension...I have tested it many times with and without detergent, when it doesn't have detergent it floats and then sinks after 5 seconds but with detergent it zips through the water...I can not give you the reason for this as i am myself still researching on why this is!
False. Addition of a detergent to water decreases the surface tension of the water by disrupting the hydrogen bonding between water molecules, allowing it to spread out more easily and interact with other substances.
When a needle is placed on clean water, it can float due to surface tension, which is the cohesive force between water molecules at the surface. However, when detergent is added to the water, it reduces the surface tension by disrupting the cohesive forces between water molecules. This decrease in surface tension causes the needle to sink as the water can no longer support its weight.
Well If you have a pie pan filled with milk and then drop 4 diffrent colors of food coloring droped in but not touching then get a tooth pick with detergent on it and touch it in the foodcoloring will swirl out like tie die in the pan.
since milk has water as a main component, water has surface tension as the forces adhesion( sticks to stuff like the side of the glass) are stronger that the cohesion (makes water keep to itself) forces
When detergent is added to a floating object in water, it can break the surface tension of the water causing the object to sink. This happens because the detergent molecules disrupt the cohesive forces that keep the object floating by reducing the surface tension of the water.
Some mood music.
When detergent is introduced into water, it disrupts the surface tension of the water. This lowers the surface tension enough that the razor is able to sink. The detergent molecules interfere with the cohesive forces between water molecules, causing the razor to break through the surface and sink.
The surface tension of water can be broken by adding dishwashing detergent to the water. This can be demonstrated by filling a bowl with water, then floating a needle in it. This may sound almost impossible, but it can be easily achieved by placing the needle on a tissue, then carefully floating it on the water. When the tissue sinks, the needle should remain on the surface. It is prevented from sinking by the water's surface tension. Carefully add one drop of dishwashing detergent, and the needle will sink. You can prove this was due to the surface tension being broken by trying to float the needle again. If you added enough detergent this should be impossible, as detergent acts as a wetting agent and breaks the surface tension.
Detergent has the effect of reducing the size of the water molecules thereby reducing the surface tension of the water. This allows for the small water molecules to integrate themselves farther into fabric to remove contaminants.
If you have floated a needle on the surface of the water in a glass then adding a little detergent will cause the needle to sink. This is because the presence of the detergent changes the surface tension of the water so that it can no longer support the needle.