What property of oil makes it float on water?

Answer 1

It is less dense than water, so it floats on top.

Answer 2

oil consists of chains of carbons that are not polar, thus the non-polar compound is not able to form bonds with water. Since water is a polar molecule it can form hyrdogen bonds with similar compounds. Thus making oil the hydrophobic compound and not miscible with water. Thus oil floats on water. Also the density is a factor here. Oil should be less dense than water than in order for it to float on water. If it was heavier than water, it might be floating at the bottom.LOL....

Answer 3

each and every of the above are incorrect. the real clarification why oil floats on water is via the "hydrophobic result". The 2d regulation of thermodynamics states that the entropy of the universe has a tendency to a maximum. Water molecules could ought to advance the order of their crystal lattice around super hydrocarbons including oil. Water molecules exclude oil so as to maximise their entropy. that's thermodynamics that makes oil elect the flow. besides the undeniable fact that, the balloon question is the place all people is suited. Heating the balloon makes the gas advance till its much less dense then air and consequently rises.

Answer 4

oil is less dense than water, meaning that its mass (weight) per volume is less than that of water. It is the same phenomenon that allows a hot air balloon to rise, since the air in the hot air balloon is less dense than the air around it. Similarly, oil is less dense than water, so it floats on top. Gasoline also does this as well, but if you dumped mercury or another heavy liquid in water it would sink for the same reason.

Answer 5

Measurement of Specific Gravity
The specific gravity of a material is the ratio of the mass (or weight) of a certain sample of it to the mass (or weight) of an equal volume of water, the conventional reference material. In the metric system, the density of water is 1 g/cc, which makes the specific gravity numerically equal to the density. Strictly speaking, density has the dimensions g/cc, while specific gravity is a dimensionless ratio. However, in casual speech the two are often confounded. In English units, however, density, perhaps in lb/cuft or pcf, is numerically different from the specific gravity, since the weight of water is 62.5 lb/cuft.

Things are complicated by the variation of the density of water with temperature, and also by the confusion that gave us the distinction between cc and ml. The milliliter is the volume of 1.0 g of water at 4°C, by definition. The actual volume of 1.0 g of water at 4°C is 0.999973 cm3 by measurement. Since most densities are not known, or needed, to more than three significant figures, it is clear that this difference is of no practical importance, and the ml can be taken equal to the cc. The density of water at 0°C is 0.99987 g/ml, at 20° 0.99823, and at 100°C 0.95838. The temperature dependence of the density may have to be taken into consideration in accurate work.
The basic idea in finding specific gravity is to weigh a sample in air, and then immersed in water. Then the specific gravity is W/(W - W'), if W is the weight in air, and W' the weight immersed. The denominator is just the buoyant force, the weight of a volume of water equal to the volume of the sample. This can be carried out with an ordinary balance, but special balances, such as the Jolly balance, have been created specifically for this application. Adding an extra weight to the sample allows measurement of specific gravities less than 1.

On earth, fluids are also subject to the force of gravity, which acts vertically downward, and has a magnitude γ = ρg per unit volume, where g is the acceleration of gravity, approximately 981 cm/s2 or 32.15 ft/s2, ρ is the density, the mass per unit volume, expressed in g/cm3, kg/m3, or slug/ft3, and γ is the specific weight, measured in lb/in3, or lb/ft3 (pcf). Gravitation is an example of a body force that disturbs the equality of pressure in a fluid. The presence of the gravitational body force causes the pressure to increase with depth, according to the equation dp = ρg dh, in order to support the water above. We call this relation the barometric equation, for when this equation is integrated, we find the variation of pressure with height or depth. If the fluid is incompressible, the equation can be integrated at once, and the pressure as a function of depth h is p = ρgh + p0. The density of water is about 1 g/cm3, or its specific weight is 62.4 pcf. We may ask what depth of water gives the normal sea-level atmospheric pressure of 14.7 psi, or 2117 psf.

IN OTHER WORDS I SAY THIS

system, the density of water is 1 g/cc, which makes the specific gravity . OIL.. will just float and WATERjust sink put limits on the specific gravity of the liquid. ...

Answer 6

its specific gravity
because oil's properties of this < water properties
may helpful

Answer 7

density specific gravity. The specific gravity - density - weight of oil is less than that of water. It is lighter weight

Answer 8

Lower density.

Answer 9

A viscosity higher than water.

Answer 10

It is simply lighter (less dense) than water !!