Answer to Question #289086 in General Chemistry for jovie

Question

1. What happened to the blade that was placed diagonally? Explain why that happened.

2. What happened to the blade that was placed horizontally using a fork?

3. In what way did the intermolecular forces affect the outcome of your activity?

Answer 1

The needle is more dense than the water, and would be expected to sink. However, the surface of the water can support the needle because of the force of surface tension. ... 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”.