Menu Close

What happens when you put a needle in water?

What happens when you put a needle in water?

When the needle is sideways on the surface it can’t break through the surface; the water can support the needle and keep it “floating”. If you put the needle into the water point first, the point punctures the surface “skin” and then the needle sinks.

What property of the water makes it possible for the needle to lie on the surface of the water?

Figure 4 A needle can float on a water surface, because the surface tension of the water can lead to forces strong enough to support the needle’s weight. We have seen that surface tension arises because of the intermolecular forces of attraction that molecules in a liquid exert on one another.

What gives water its abilities?

hydrogen bonds
It is polar, allowing for the formation of hydrogen bonds, which allow ions and other polar molecules to dissolve in water. Therefore, water is an excellent solvent. The hydrogen bonds between water molecules give water the ability to hold heat better than many other substances.

What happens to the water molecules to allow the needle to float?

Surface tension happens because the water molecules at the surface of the water are strongly attracted to each other more than they are to the air molecules above them. The water molecules make an invisible skin on the water’s surface that allows things like the needle to float on top of the water.

Why does needle sink in water while a huge ship float?

Complete answer: Density of iron is more than the density of water, so the iron needle sinks in water. Needles displace more water than its weight. Ship is hollow and empty space contains air, makes the average density of water is less than the average density of water and it floats on water.

Why does a needle float on clean water but sinks in water mixed with detergent?

Due to surface tension, the free surface of liquid at rest behaves likes a strectched membrane. When an iron needle floats on the surface of clean water, its weight is supported by the stretched membrane, when some detergent is added to this water, its surface tension decreases. Hence, needle sinks in such water.

How does water purity affect surface tension?

As surface tension increases, intermolecular forces increase. The Presence of ImpuritiesThe presence of impurities on the surface of, or dissolved in, a substance directly affects the surface tension of the liquid. The surface tension of water, for example, will increase when highly soluble impurities are added to it.

What is responsible for the unusual chemical properties of water?

Water has some unusual properties due to its hydrogen bonds. One property is cohesion, the tendency for water molecules to stick together. The cohesive forces between water molecules are responsible for the phenomenon known as surface tension.

Why does water have high cohesion?

Cohesion refers to the attraction of molecules for other molecules of the same kind, and water molecules have strong cohesive forces thanks to their ability to form hydrogen bonds with one another. Thus, the water molecules at the surface form stronger interactions with the neighbors they do have.