Tinny insects such as mosquitoes can seat on the surface of water. Which physical principle makes this possible?
surface tension
Tinny insects such as mosquitoes can seat on the surface of water.which physical principle makes this possible ?
surface tension
The physical principle that allows tinny insects like mosquitoes to stay on the surface of water is called surface tension. Surface tension is a property of liquids that is caused by the cohesive forces between the molecules at the liquid's surface.
Every liquid molecule is surrounded by other molecules, and these cohesive forces between the molecules create a net inward force on each molecule. This inward force causes the liquid to try to minimize its surface area. Consequently, liquid surfaces tend to have the minimum possible area for a given volume.
When an insect like a mosquito lands on the water, its weight pushes down on the water's surface. This creates a slight depression in the water, causing the surface tension to form an upward force that can balance the weight of the insect. This delicate balance between the downward force of the insect's weight and the upward force of surface tension allows the insect to stay afloat without sinking.
The surface tension of water is relatively high because of the strong cohesive forces between its molecules. This property enables insects with a low weight-to-surface-area ratio, such as mosquitoes, to distribute their weight over a larger area and prevent themselves from breaking through the water's surface.