Why does a penny float in water?

Answer 1

The water bubbles up because of cohesion.

Cohesion: the force of attraction that holds together a substance's molecules; cohesion is strongest in solids, weaker in liquids, and weakest in gases.

The water doesn't spread out evenly all over the penny because the H2O molecules are so strongly attracted to each other (opposites attract, so yeah, hydrogen is pos. and oxygen is neg, so one H2O molecule is attracted to another one, either through the hydrogen molecules or the oxygen molecules) that it forms a bead because they're all grouping up together.

Answer 2

A penny floats in water due to surface tension. Water molecules are attracted to each other, forming a thin layer on the surface that can support the weight of the penny. The surface tension of the water prevents the penny from sinking.

Answer 3

pennies dont float in water

I have heard that it is possible to float a penny, due to surface tension, but I have never seen it done, nor have I been able to do it. I have floated razor blades, though.

Answer 4

Water molecules are polar, meaning that they have a partial negative charge at one end and a partial positive charge at the other. This causes them to cling to each other in a way similar to magnets. This causes water to form fairly round droplets.

Answer 5

Surface tension keeps the water molecules together, thus preventing them from just spreading out and falling off of the coin.

If you keep adding water droplets, the mass of the "bubble" will increase. Eventually gravity will overtake the surface tension and the water will spill over the edges of the coin.

Answer 6

Surface tension. Water molecules are held to one another by strong hydrogen bonds caused by the uneven sharing of electrons between the oxygen and hydrogen components.

Answer 7

That is due to the property of cohesion - a substance's ability to stick to itself. Water is very cohesive, so when one part of a droplet moves, so does the rest.