Water striders are insects that have the ability to walk across the surface of water.Which properties of water allow the water strider to do this?

The ability of water striders to walk on water is due to two key properties of water: surface tension and cohesion.

1. Surface Tension: This is a property of the surface of a liquid that allows it to resist an external force, due to the cohesive nature of its molecules. Water has a high surface tension due to its polar nature, meaning the positive end of one water molecule is attracted to the negative end of another. This creates a sort of "film" on the water's surface that resists penetration.

2. Cohesion: This is the property of like molecules (same substance) sticking together. In the case of water, the molecules are very attracted to each other, which further contributes to the high surface tension.

The water strider's legs are hydrophobic (water-repelling), so when they touch the water surface, they do not break the surface tension. Instead, they create small indentations or dimples on the water surface. The surface tension of the water then pushes up against the water strider, counteracting its weight and allowing it to "walk" on the water's surface.