Which property of water allows insects to walk on it?
Biology · Middle School · Mon Jan 18 2021
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Answered on
- The property of water that allows insects, such as water striders, to walk on its surface is called surface tension.
- Surface tension is a result of the cohesive forces between water molecules. Water molecules are attracted to each other due to hydrogen bonding, which creates a strong cohesive force at the surface of the water. This force causes water molecules at the surface to be more strongly attracted to each other than to the molecules in the air above, effectively creating a "skin" or "film" on the surface.
- Insects like water striders have adapted legs and body structures that take advantage of this surface tension. Their legs are designed in a way that distributes their weight, allowing them to distribute their body weight over a larger surface area and not break through the surface tension of the water. This enables them to "float" or "walk" on the water's surface without sinking.
- The strong intermolecular forces at the surface of the water due to surface tension provide a supportive layer that allows these insects to move and navigate across the water's surface.