Question

Even though water is a liquid, some insects are able to stand on its surface due to water's high surface tension. Unbalanced forces pull the water molecules inward which causes the surface of the liquid to have properties similar to that of a stretched elastic membrane. What is responsible for the unbalanced forces in water?
A. ionic bonds
B. a neutral pH
C. hydrogen bonds

Answer 1

The answer is letter C. hydrogen bonds. Surface tension in water, which makes water form drops and causes the surface to form a curve above the mouth of a container, results from the water molecules being strongly held by H bonds to those water molecules beside and beneath them. The cohesion among water molecules and the adhesion of water to other materials like rock and soil make capillarity possible.