Question

Water drops that fall on a smooth surface tend to form rounded drops or beads. Then, if you touch a piece of paper to the drop, water appears to move up into the paper on its own. Identify and describe the properties of water that explain this phenomenon.

Answer 1

Answer:

Surface tension

Capillary action

Explanation:

Surface tension is the force acting along the surface of the liquid causing the liquid surface to behave like a stretched elastic skin. Surface tension causes the water drops that fall on a smooth surface to form rounded drops or beads.

If you touch a piece of paper to the drop, water appears to move up into the paper on its own due to capillarity. Capillarity is the tendency of a liquid to rise or fall in a narrow tube.