Why do water striders walk on water?
Show answer & explanation
Answer: Surface tension supports them
Surface tension supports them ✓ — Correct! Water molecules cling together creating surface tension—like a stretchy skin. Water strider legs are covered in thousands of tiny water-repellent hairs that distribute weight without breaking this surface. They're so light (creating dimples, not holes) they literally walk on water!
Hollow bodies float naturally — Wrong. Being lightweight helps, but even light insects sink without the key adaptation: water-repellent hairy legs that distribute weight across surface tension.
Legs repel water molecules — Wrong. Their legs are hydrophobic (water-repellent) due to waxy coating and tiny hairs, but they don't actively repel molecules—they just don't break the surface tension film.
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