Which of the following properties of water is shown here (a steel paper clip floating on water)?

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BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

Question restatement: The prompt asks which property of water is demonstrated by a steel paper clip floating on water. The visible context confirms the correct option being Surface tension.
Option 1: Surface tension — This is the correct explanation. Water molecules at the surface experience cohesive forces that create a 'skin' or surface tension, allowing a light, dense object like a steel paper clip to rest on the surface if placed gently and without breaking the surface layer. It explains how the clip can float even though steel is denser than water when supported by the surface.
Option 2: Cohesion — While cohesion (attraction between water molecules) contributes to surface tension, as a stand-alone answer it is not the full property being demonstrated. The key observable effect is the surface’s ability to support the object, which arises from surface tension, not just molecular attraction inside the water.
Option 3: Adhesion — Adhesion (attraction between water and another material, e.g., glass) affects how water wets a surface, but the steel paper clip is floating due to the water’s surface tension rather than strong adhesion between water and steel. If adhesion dominated, the clip might sink or spread differently, depending on surface interactions.
Option 4: Specific heat — This property pertains to the amount of heat required to change water’s temperature and is unrelated to the floating behavior of an object on a water surface.
Option 5: Water molecules in a lattice formation — A lattice arrangement is characteristic of ice, not liquid water. The demonstration involves liquid water with surface tension, not ice forming a lattice.
In summary, the observed floating behavior is best explained by surface tension, arising from cohesive forces at the air–water interface, which can support light objects temporarily on the surface. The remaining options describe other properties or states of water that do not directly account for the phenomenon shown.

2025 T3 DP DPST1051 BLSC1342 Molecules, Cells and Genes

Which of the following properties of water is shown here (a steel paper clip floating on water)?

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