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How does hydrogen bonds cohesion and surface tension allow some insects and animals to walk on water?
Wiki User
∙ 13y ago
The answer is pretty simple, and has to so with properties of water, mostly, not insects. Water molecules are polar molecules containing Oxygen and Hydrogen. This allows them to form hydrogen bonds when in close proximity to each-other (hydrogen bonds are a strong type of Inter-molecular force.) The molecules on the surface, however, have less water molecules near them, and so form stronger hydrogen bonds with nearby water molecules. Some insects, like the iconic water strider, have large feet to displace their weight over a large area, and thus avoid breaking the surface hydrogen bonds, which allows them to "walk on water."
Wiki User
∙ 11y ago
Wiki User
∙ 10y agoAny water that is detergent-free will support the weight of insects that have evolved to walk on the water film. To prove this, place a small piece of tissue paper on the surface of water in a bowl. Place a paper clip on top. Gently prod the tissue until it sinks, and leaves the paper-clip floating on the water. A single drop of washing-up liquid dropped on the water will instantly destroy the water film and the paper-clip will sink!
Wiki User
∙ 13y agoThe insectes are more tense than water. lol
Wiki User
∙ 12y agocohesion
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How do living things insects use surface tension?
Surface tension is most important to insects who land on water. Because of cohesion, the hydrogen bonds in water make each individual water molecule "sticky."
How do things like insects use surface tension?
Surface tension is most important to insects who land on water. Because of cohesion, the hydrogen bonds in water make each individual water molecule "sticky."
How do living things like insects use surface?
Surface tension is most important to insects who land on water. Because of cohesion, the hydrogen bonds in water make each individual water molecule "sticky."
How do living thing like insects use surface tension?
Surface tension is most important to insects who land on water. Because of cohesion, the hydrogen bonds in water make each individual water molecule "sticky."
Does cohesion create surface tension in water?
Cohesion of water molecules occurs through the formation of hydrogen bonds between molecules
What do cohesion surface tension and adhesion all have in common with reference to water?
Hydrogen Bonding
What do cohesion surface tension and adhesion have in common?
all are properties related to hydrogen bonding.
What property of water allows water molecules to stick together?
The property is cohesion. Cohesion among water molecules at the water's surface produces surface tension.
What property of water molecules causes a large surface tension?
Water molecules can make hydrogen bonds between each other since the molecule is 'very' polar (due to the very electronegative oxygen)
What is the tendency of water molecules to stick to molecules of another substance?
The ability of water molecules to stick to one another is due to cohesion. Cohesion is what gives rise to properties such as surface tension.
What attracts water molecules to one another?
It is called surface tension. Somehow the water molecules are "magnetic" to each other. Hydrogen bonds are the primary intermolecular forces responsible for the unusually high cohesion forces (this is the cause behind surface tension) of water. The H-O bonds in the water molecules are highly polarized because of the large electronegativity differences between oxygen and hydrogen and there is a partial negative charge on the oxygen and a partial positive charge on the hydrogen. These partial charges are still able to attract each other and these electric attractions give rise to the high cohesion of water. Other compounds that exhibit this phenomenon of hydrogen bonding include ethanol and ammonia. Biological macromolecules also use hydrogen bonds to maintain their strucutres. For example, the two strands of DNA are held together by hydrogen bonds.
What property causes water to from droplets?
cohesion (hydrogen bonding intermolecular forces) and the fact that surface area per unit volume is a maximum in a sphere.
