What term describes the property of a liquid’s surface that causes it to behave somewhat like a stretched elastic sheet, allowing small insects to walk on water?

Explanation

Surface tension is a property of liquids caused by the cohesive attraction between molecules at the surface, creating a thin, elastic-like film that can support small objects and allows certain insects, like water striders, to walk across the surface of water without sinking. This same property causes small amounts of water to form roughly spherical droplets, since a sphere minimizes surface area for a given volume. Adding soap to water significantly reduces its surface tension, which is one reason soap is effective at breaking down grease and grime during cleaning. Explore more Everyday Science MCQs on mcqstutor to keep practicing.