EVERYDAY SCIENCE

SCIENCE

CHEMISTRY

Question [CLICK ON ANY CHOICE TO KNOW THE RIGHT ANSWER]
Water striders can walk across the surface of calm water. Their feet push the surface of the water down slightly, but they do not break the surface. Why?
A
The insects are light enough so they do not break the hydrogen bonds holding the water molecules together
B
The insects actually use their wings to hover slightly above the water’s surface and they only skim it with their feet.
C
The insect’s feet are non-polar, so they are repelled by the polar water molecules and are pushed away from the water’s surface.
D
The insects are small enough to see the individual water molecules, so they are able to step carefully from one molecule to the next
Explanation: 

Detailed explanation-1: -Water striders can walk across the surface of calm water. Their feet push the surface of the water down slightly, but they do not break the surface. Why? The insects actually use their wings to hover slightly above the water’s surface and they only skim it with their feet.

Detailed explanation-2: -Water striders use the high surface tension of water and long, hydrophobic legs to help them stay above water. Water striders use this surface tension to their advantage through their highly adapted legs and distributed weight.

Detailed explanation-3: -That’s because water striders are covered with tiny hairs that repel water, trapping a layer of air next to the strider’s legs and body. That buoyant air keeps the legs from breaking the water’s surface and makes the striders bob back up if they get swamped by a tiny wave.

Detailed explanation-4: -Water striders are small insects that are adapted for life on top of still water, using surface tension to their advantage so they can “walk on water.”

Detailed explanation-5: -Surface Tension Examples Small insects such as the water strider can walk on water because their weight is not enough to penetrate the surface.

There is 1 question to complete.