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Wax is hydrophobic, meaning it repels water. Of course, this repulsion is not strong enough to make the water hover a millimeter above the surface, but it is strong enough to force the water to act in this way, rather than sit there in a thin sheet. The "surface tension" of the water itself also plays a role.

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14y ago
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13y ago

Wax is a low surface tension material. Water is very high surface tension

(72 mN/m). Nature tries to minimize energy. All reactions apart from nuclear occur on surfaces. It is mathematically provable that the sphere is the lowest surface area to volume ratio. To minimize surface area and hence energy the water beads up into a hemisphere.

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9y ago

At the surface of water, there is interaction between the water molecules and the molecules of the air above it which causes the water molecules to adhere to one another more strongly than they do when surrounded only by other water molecules. Therefore when a car is freshly waxed, there is an interaction between the water molecules and the wax. With the water molecules being bound tightly together, they do not sink into the wax and therefore create beads.

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13y ago

Water is a polar molecule and likes to bond with other water molecules. It tends to bead up on waxed cars, because the wax is hydrophobic and reduces the adhesion forces (those that cause water to bond to other things). Because the adhesive forces are lowered that means the the cohesive forces (those that bond water molecules to other water molecules) are increased causing the water to bond with other water molecules which makes it bead up.

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12y ago

The cohesion of water, combined with the smoothness of the wax surface, causes the water to form droplets on cars, even if they have not been waxed recently.

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8y ago

Water molecules are sticky due to hydrogen bonds.

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9y ago

The hydrophobia of the wax.

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8y ago

Surface tension

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Q: Why does water bead up on freshly waxed car?
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Why can you see your reflection in a car after it has been washed and waxed?

It depends on the car. A2 A rough surface scatters reflected light in all directions, it is harder to make out an image. A polished surface evens out surface, so that reflected light behaves more like a mirror. The wax fits into the irregularities in the paint finish. Polishing then makes this flat. For a correct image to be seen, the surface must reflect the light, back the way it came, insted of at an angle.


What is an example of a mechanical wave A glass of water A shovel full of dirt The light of a light bulb or The noise of a car horn?

The noise of a car horn.


How can you consever water give a short description?

we can conserve water by not leaving taps running don't play with it don't give small children to play with water don't was the car everyday was it so often do close taps when u are brushing not using water and that's how we conserve water


Why does a pencil look like it is bent in water?

Its due to the refraction of light. This is when the light leaves the water it speeds up causing it to change direction. To imagine this i will use an analogy of a car: Imagine a car is driving on mud (a surface with high friction) if it approaches a road at an angle, the wheels on one side will meet the road first and speed up causing the car to turn. This is similar to what happens to light.


If a car drives 10km across the deck of an ocean liner that is traveling at 90km what is the car's speed relative to the surface of the water when it drives toward the front of the ocean line?

If a car is travelling at 10 km/h in the same direction as the ship that is travelling at 90 km/h, then the car's apparent velocity with regard to the ocean is just 10 + 90 = 100 km/h.

Related questions

Which property of water causes water drops to bead on s freshly waxed car?

Water molecules are sticky due to hydrogen bonds


When can a freshly painted car be waxed?

No


Why do beads of water often form on a slippery surface such as a freshly waxed car?

Beads of water form on a slippery surface like a freshly waxed car because the surface tension of water causes it to bead up rather than spread out. The hydrophobic nature of the wax repels water, causing it to form into droplets instead of wetting the surface.


Which property of water causes drops on a freshly waxed car?

This phenomenon is called surface tension.


Why does water bead up on a waxed car but gasoline does not?

Water has a higher surface tension than gasoline, causing it to bead up on a waxed surface. The hydrophobic properties of the wax repel the water, leading to beading. Gasoline, on the other hand, has a lower surface tension than water and does not experience the same beading effect on a waxed surface.


Why does water bead up on a waxed car but gasoline spreads out?

A waxed car is not hydrophilic, it is not wetted with water. A drop of water falling on such a surface does not speak out wetting the surface. Instead the surface tension of the water drop pulls it into a spherical shape that sits on top of the surface until it either slides off or evaporates.


Would mercury bead up more on a waxed or unwaxed car?

Mercury would bead up more on a waxed car. The wax provides a hydrophobic surface that repels water and other liquids, causing them to bead up instead of spreading out. That same principle applies to mercury.


Use each of the following terms in a separate sentence viscosity surface tension?

Viscosity measures a fluid's resistance to flow, such as honey being more viscous than water. Surface tension is the cohesive force that causes water to form droplets on a surface instead of spreading out, like when water beads on a freshly waxed car.


What property of water is demonstrated when you see beads of water on a waxed car hood?

The property of water demonstrated is surface tension, which causes the water molecules to stick together and form droplets on the surface of the waxed car hood rather than spreading out. This is due to the hydrophobic nature of the wax, which repels water.


What are the examples of cohesion?

Examples of Cohesion *Water clinging to your newly waxed car *Water clinging to a pice of waxed paper The examples above are actually examples of ADHESION not COHESION. ADHESION is the force that attracts two DIFFERENT materials together. COHESION is the sticking of two LIKE substances.


What sre some examples of cohesion?

Some examples of cohesion include water sticking to a waxed car, water beads on the floor and rain drops. Cohesion is the ability of water molecules sticking together.


Can wax on car not bead up and still be good?

depends on if you let it haze up or not