Ok can someone explain to me how this happens?

Question

http://revver.com/video/589547/science-or-magic/

Answer 1

Easy... the soap does not mix with the water. It stays on the surface and spreads out taking the pepper along with it.

Answer 2

The dishwashing liquid is a surfactant chemical - one that quickly jumps into a position between the water and the air. When you add the dishwashing liquid the surfactant quickly spreads across the surface, replacing water molecules at the surface and pushing them aside. The pepper, sitting on top of the water, is pushed aside along with it.

EDIT: I actually prefer Michael's way of explaining it... the "elastic skin". In fact, it is more scientifically correct to describe it as "pulling" rather than "pushing"

Answer 3

The surface of water is like an elastic "skin". This property of water is called surface tension. This effect is destroyed by detergent. The skin effect is destroyed from the centre outwards, like bursting a balloon. As the skin shrinks out to the edges, it takes the grains with it.

A similar trick using surface tension is to make a little boat out of kitchen foil and fix a sliver of soap at the back, touching the water. Place the boat at one end of a bath of fresh water and watch as surface tension pulls it along to the other end.

Answer 4

wow, that's really cool....
I'm not sure but i think the pepper floats on the water and when you pour the dish washering soap in, it also floats so it kind of pushes the pepper to the side.
i think i'll go try it out in the kitchen