what is water tension?

Answer 1

Water tension is a specific example of a more generic phenomenon known as "surface tension".

Consider a volume of water. The intermolecular forces that hold the water molecules together are not balanced at the boundary of the volume. Instead, the net force on these boundary molecules points vectorially "inward", towards the center of the volume (because the internal molecules are molecules "pulling" on the boundary molecules with their intermolecular forces). This net inward force causes the surface area of the substance to shrink to it's smallest possible state: the sphere. The surface tension is the amount of energy (in Joules) that it takes to increase the surface area of this substance by one square meter.

A similar phenomenon actually occurs with gravity, which is why planets, stars, etc. are also spherical.

Answer 2

I think you mean to say surface tension - the property of liquids to
bond to themselves at the surface and pull a mass into a ball to minimize surface area.

Maybe water tension is the anxiety someone feels when they
are eating and have to drink water instead of something that
tastes better.

Answer 3

The surface tension is what allows those little bugs to glide on water. Also, if you ever watch Mythbusters and saw the hammer drop episode, they tested to see is dropping a hammer as you are falling into water will save your life by breaking the surface tension. I think they busted that myth though...lol.

Answer 4

Hi. Water tension is caused when the water has more attraction to itself then to something it is in contact with. Put a drop of water on wax and it pulls itself into a ball. Drop it in the air and it forms a drop. Put a pin on the still surface of a glass of water and it may not sink. This may be interesting : http://www.newton.dep.anl.gov/askasci/phy00/phy00472.htm

Answer 5

Drop a stone in a lake. See the rings of the water going out from where you dropped the stone? That is water tension.