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A pond skater insect is held up by surface tension.

Water molecules have an attraction for each other. At the surface of the liquid there is no water in one direction (up, naturally) so the molecules at the surface are pulled with a net force downwards. This creates a surface layer which has a high viscous property (know as surface tension). To penetrate this layer requires a measurable force. Since the weight of a pond skater does not exceed this force it is held up by the surface of the water.

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13y ago

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