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Oil is less dense than water
While certainly true, and part of it, it isn't the whole story. If this were the case, there wouldn't be many of the solutions that we know and love each day (think of beer...ethanol has a density of about 0.8, water is 1...how can it be mixed?).
The main component for this is that there are significantly different forces holding the water molecules to other water molecules, and oil molecules to other oil molecules. Water is very polar (has ends with unequal electron distribution, a slight charge), and oil is non-polar: all the electrons are evenly spread-out. The water molecules are attracted to each other by this separated charge, the oil molecules are attracted to each other due to the lack of separated charge, but they are not attracted to each other. That's where the density comes into it!
Wiki User
∙ 14y ago
Wiki User
∙ 13y agoThe reason oil is on top is because it is less dense and the reason they don't mix is because water is a polar molecule and oil being an organic molecule is non-polar.
Wiki User
∙ 11y agooil is lighter than water, due the molecule building.
Wiki User
∙ 15y agoFYI water is not buoyant. buoyancy measures how good something floats in water. Oil floats in/on water because it is less dense than water
Wiki User
∙ 10y agobecause oil is actually lighter than water I know amazing, when I was little I did an experiment on this and oil is lighter!
Wiki User
∙ 7y agoOil is less dense than water, so is able to float on top of the denser (heavier) water.
Wiki User
∙ 15y agobecause the oil is less dense
Anonymous
Density
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Why does warm water sit on top of cold water?
Warm water is less dense than cold water, hence, it floats on top.
Why do vingegar and oil separate in Italian dressing?
The two have different densities which allows the oil to sit on top of the vinegar.
Is oil liter than water?
well water weighs more becuz the oil happens to be light
Is water denser than oil?
No, in general most oils are LESS dense than water.
Will oil settle faster in salt water or fresh water?
oil doesn't settle in salt water nor fresh water, it floats to the top
Why does vegatable oil sit flat on top of water?
vegatable oil sit flat on top of water because of density. Density of vegetable oil is more then water .Hence oil float
How does oil get into water?
Oil and water can't mix. They won't go together. The oil with just sit it the water or on top of the oil the water.
How does oil sit on top of water in an oil spill?
Oil is less dense than water, so it sits on top. It is also organic so is immiscible in water.
Why does oil sit on water?
oil has a least density than water so threfore it sits on top of it
When you mix thick vegetable oil and water together why does the vegetable oil sit on the top?
Vegetable oil is denser then water, so it floats on top. Oil is also a lipid, which is hydrophobic, meaning it does not like water. They do not mix.
How do you separate oil and water in a container?
they separete on their own if you let the container sit, the oil rises to the top
How is Oil separated from a mixture of oil and water?
Water is heavier than oil, so oil floats on top of water.
Why does vinegar sit on top of water and not mix in?
The vinegar sit on top of the water because the water is more dense than the vinegar
What are some ways of separating of a mixture?
Put two difference types of liquids that have different density's. Like put water and olive oil and the oil will sit on top of the olive oil.
What Does Iceland Sit On Top Of?
Iceland sits on top of water.
Does oil create a barrier on top of water?
oil is less dense then water so oil floats on top of water.
How we can separate oil from water?
Allow the mixture to sit until the oil and water have separated. Then pour off the oil.
