Why is it that when I put my finger (with soap) and dip it into a bowl of pepper, all the pepper goes to the side of the bowl??
2007-03-24 18:29:08 · 5 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Biology
The surface of water is normally highly ordered. The pepper is surrounded by this highly ordered water and so travels with it. Think of it like ice. If your stuck in the ice you will go were ever the ice does.
The soap causes a reduction in this order effectively breaking up the surface. Since the pepper is still embedded in the highly order water it diffuses in 1d to a region that favors the presence of highly ordered water. Since the integration with the side of the bowl favors the creation of highly ordered water the pepper is carried their.
You can do the same thing by slowly adding hot water to cold water with pepper in it. If you add the hot water slowly so their is no mixing what is floating in the cold water will not drift into the hot region.
2007-03-25 01:21:24 · answer #1 · answered by NoComment 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Some of the soap on your finger is spreading across the surface of the water in a very thin layer. (perhaps as thin as just a few molecules) In doing so, it pushes the pepper out of the way.
2007-03-25 01:32:33 · answer #2 · answered by Jim S 5 · 1⤊ 1⤋
I think the soap breaks the surface tension of the water,,,making the pepper scoot.
2007-03-25 01:33:00 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
mixing soap (nonpolar oil) to water(polar) molecule with pepper it produces aggregation outwards. Basically water and oil don't mix and the peppers are polar molecules so they would go towards the more polar molecular which is water.
2007-03-28 23:39:45 · answer #4 · answered by soeur6830 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
As the polar end of the soap is attracted to water, it weakens the hydrogen bonds between the molecules.
2007-03-25 01:43:48 · answer #5 · answered by morganwg 2 · 1⤊ 1⤋