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."
Any 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!
The insectes are more tense than water. lol
cohesion
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."
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."
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."
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."
Cohesion of water molecules occurs through the formation of hydrogen bonds between molecules
Hydrogen Bonding
all are properties related to hydrogen bonding.
The property is cohesion. Cohesion among water molecules at the water's surface produces surface tension.
Water molecules can make hydrogen bonds between each other since the molecule is 'very' polar (due to the very electronegative oxygen)
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.
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.
cohesion (hydrogen bonding intermolecular forces) and the fact that surface area per unit volume is a maximum in a sphere.