This demonstrates the pulling power of water molecules.
Things Required:
3 toothpicks
Liquid dish soap
Quart glass bowl
Directions:
Fill the bowl three-quarters full with water. Place two toothpicks side by side on the surface in the centre of the water. Treat the third toothpick by dipping its point in liquid detergent. Note: Only a very small amount of detergent is needed.
Touch the treated toothpick tip between the floating sticks.
This Is What Happens:
The sticks quickly move away from each other.
Science Behind It:
The surface of water acts as if a thin skin were stretched across it. This allows objects to float on top. Detergent breaks the attraction between the molecules where it touches, causing the water molecules to move outward and taking the floating sticks with them. This outward movement occurs because the water molecules are pulling on one another. It is almost as if the molecules are all playing tug of war, and any break causes the “tuggers” to fall backwards.
