- #1
Satwik
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So I read that if you put grease on a needle it will float on water .
Why does this happen?
Why does this happen?
So I read that if you put grease on a needle it will float on water .
Why does this happen?
This is not why ducks float. Ducks float because they are less dense than water, like virtually all birds (around .6 to .8).Basically the same way ducks float above water due to there oily feathers.
Granted that it is a complex process, but it sounded like you were suggesting that ducks float for the same reason that a needle floats on the surface:The oil does more than prevent saturation and ducks are more evolved than simply they float because they're birds. They are able to change the buoyancy using air sacks and there lungs
... the weight of the needle isn't enough to counter act the buoyancy... the same way ducks float above water due to there oily feathers.
I do not believe this is true.I incorrectly stated above in an attempt to make the reply as short as possible. The point I was trying to make is any object less buoyant than geese will float higher in water when greese is applied. The grease increases the surface area of the ducks feathers while trapping air without decreasing it's buoyancy. The greased needle surface area is increased by the less buoyant grease that both contain air bubbles as well as traps air between the grease and needle. The grease doesn't make the needle float, but the needle is actually suspended inside the floating grease. The grease floats because the needle is increasing the grease's surface area without making it heavy enough to sink.
How are you suggesting the surface area of the grease decreases?sinking it will speed the process by decreasing the surface area of the grease,
Do you have any references at all to support any of this? It sounds completely made up.The grease doesn't have a strong enough bound to maintain its shape and volume under water. If the grease isn't evenly distributed it will tip to the heaviest side down. This will put the needle below the surface of the water which will increase grease removal so if the needle returns to water surface it will likely just sink again. Thought maybe cooling the water to just above freezing and the greased needle to the same tempurture to make the grease less malleable but thought that would give an incorrect result.