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Pure water can roughly hold 0.073 grams per cm at 20 degree Celsius.Impurities can change the figures.

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Why did the needle float easier on the water than on alcohol?

Water has a much stronger surface tension than alcohol does. Because water molecules are highly polar, they have a relatively strong attraction for each other (as compared to the attraction that the molecules of most other liquids have for each other) and this creates a kind of limited solidity on the surface, called surface tension. The alcohol molecule is much less polar and has much less attraction for other alcohol molecules, and correspondingly less surface tension. It is the surface tension that can support a needle on the surface of the water, despite the fact that the needle is denser than water and is not buoyant enough to float.


Why do bubbles not burst in water?

Think about this a moment. If a bubble burst in water, what would happen to the gas inside? It's got to go somewhere. You might think "Well, it could turn into a lot of smaller bubbles" but that's not likely because of the way surface tension works. For a given volume of gas, one big bubble is much more thermodynamically stable than many small bubbles.


What type of bonds are responsible for the surface tension on a pond that allows the water strider to walk on water?

well, technically they are hydrogen bonds b/c water is made up of H-bonds. The strong H bond forces on the inside of a pond are pulling the molecules on top downward w/o anything to pull it upwards creating a tension on the top of the water. This is also why it hurts so much when you land in a pool on your stomach


How can you make a feather sink in water?

As long as the feather stays all by itself, it will never sink in water, because its density is much less than the density of water. If you really need to sink it, then you must tie it to something much more dense, like a rock or a fishing sinker.


When we fill glass of water to brim and we can add considerable amount of water without making it run over?

Surface tension of water allows the water in the glass to rise slightly above the rim without spilling over. This is because the water molecules are attracted to each other, creating a cohesive force that keeps the water from overflowing. However, adding too much water will eventually break this surface tension and cause spillage.

Related Questions

How much weight can the surface tension of water hold?

Pure water can roughly hold 0.073 grams per cm at 20 degree Celsius.Impurities can change the figures.


Why when a thin layer of water flows along an inclined gutter different wave patterns are sometimes observed?

because water has a surface tension that likes to hold together. How much it takes to hold it together is based on what incline it is on. In this case, wave patterns are observed because the surface tension keeps a larger amount of water in one place, until the weight overcomes the surface tension, and it creates the wave pattern you see.


How can you test how much weight the surface tension of water can hold?

Small insects such can walk on water because their weight is not enough to penetrate the surface. A carefully placed small needle can be made to float on the surface of water even though it is several times as dense as water. If the surface is agitated to break up the surface tension, needle will quickly sink.


Why does a penny hold so much water?

A penny can hold a significant amount of water due to its surface tension properties. The water molecules adhere to each other and the metal surface of the penny, preventing the water from spilling over the edges. This allows the water to collect and form a convex meniscus on top of the penny.


Why does the surface tension of water hold up a paperclip and not soda?

If you're asking why can't soda hold up a paper weight it's because it's surface tension is less than that of water. Sodas contain other elements, including salts, sugars and gas, which lessen the number of hydrogen bonds, which is stronger than the ionic-water or Van der Waals interactions that can occur. Purer water has more hydrogen bonds, which are much stronger.


How is surface tension important in nature?

There are technological examples of the importance of surface tension. The degree to which a liquid wets a surface or forms beads depends in large part on the surface tension. Obviously, one wants one's raincoat to bead water as well as the wax on one's car. But the opposite is true for a lubricant. One wants oil to adhere to a surface of a bearing. Coatings are designed with wettabilty as a primary consideration. Cloth may be treated with materials to prevent wetting, but that is also an example where the surface texture or roughness plays a critical role. Paint is an example of a coating that would be carefully evaluated for wettability depending on the application. Surface tension of water is obviously a property of the surface and the surface of water is an interface, i.e. the place where water comes in contact with anything else. Surface tension is really a measure of how much energy is require to create a surface of a liquid. (Liquids would rather not have much surface, that is why they form drops - to minimize the surface.) The surface tension of water is large and that surface tension determines many of the properties of any interface with water and changing the surface tension changes those properties. A lot of biology happens at the interface of one compartment of water and another and the entire reason we can even have living cells is a result of the large surface tension that stabilizes a cell membrane. Finally, all those little bugs which walk around on the top of water would have no where to live without water tension.


Is it possible for a human to stand on water if the surface tension is just right?

No, it is not possible for a human to stand on water solely based on the surface tension. The surface tension of water is not strong enough to support the weight of a human standing. Additional factors such as buoyancy would also be required.


Why did the needle float easier on the water than on alcohol?

Water has a much stronger surface tension than alcohol does. Because water molecules are highly polar, they have a relatively strong attraction for each other (as compared to the attraction that the molecules of most other liquids have for each other) and this creates a kind of limited solidity on the surface, called surface tension. The alcohol molecule is much less polar and has much less attraction for other alcohol molecules, and correspondingly less surface tension. It is the surface tension that can support a needle on the surface of the water, despite the fact that the needle is denser than water and is not buoyant enough to float.


Why the change in surface tension is much less when sodium chloride is added to water in place of an equivalent amount of ethanol?

Sodium chloride is an ionic compound that dissociates into ions when dissolved in water, causing no significant change in the cohesive forces between water molecules. Ethanol, on the other hand, is a covalent compound that disrupts the hydrogen bonding between water molecules, leading to a greater change in surface tension.


How can a penny hold so much water?

If you mean why does the water drop grow so large on top of a penny, the answer has to do with the surface tension of water. Water "likes" to stick together, so it pulls inward and keeps tightly attached to each molecule. This allows a large droplet to grow before it runs off.


Why is surface tension helpful to some oragisms?

Many insects and microscopic organisms need to be in direct contact with the air to feed, live, and reproduce. The surface tension on water allows many insects to "walk" across the surface making the capture of prey much easier. During the hatching cycle, many insects larvae come to the surface of the water, using the surface tension for support while releasing the larvae inside.


The cohesive forces between molecules of mercury are much stronger than those between molecules of water Which substance has the greatest surface tension?

Mercury has the greatest surface tension due to the stronger cohesive forces between its molecules compared to water. Surface tension is the property of liquids that arises from the cohesive forces between molecules at the surface, causing them to minimize surface area.