A Paper clip float on water because of surface tension. If you place a paper clip on the surface of still water, it will not sink because of surface tension. In liquids, molecules are attracted to each other in all directions except for the ones at the boundary. The unequal attraction of all the molecules that are at the surface forms a 'skin'. When you look at this picture you see that the paper clip forms a depression in the surface of the water. If the pressure exerted by the paper clip is low enough, then the surface tension can support it, therefore making it float.
Greetings,
ReplyDeleteI am Howard Perlman, a hydrologist with the US Geological Survey. I run a site Water Science for Schools (http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/). I am currently doing a major upgrade and I am making a page about surface tension.
I was looking for good pictures and I found your picture of a paper clip floating on water.
So, I want to ask for your permission to use the picture in my new site. I certainly would provide a credit to your site, if you wanted that. So, please let me know if this is acceptable or not.
So, please let me know if you would allow me to use your picture. We are a Gov't agency, so we're not commercial.
Okay, thanks,
Howard Perlman
USGS