About This Lesson
Surface tension is caused by the attraction, or cohesion, of individual molecules to one another in a liquid. Some insects, such as water striders, are able to stand and travel on the surface of water because of surface tension. Watch the Science Friday video “Stroke of the Water Strider” to learn about a robot that was inspired by insects’ ability to travel on the surface of water. Then follow the directions to engineer your own water-walking critter using thin wire, and then test its effectiveness by counting how many paper clips it can carry without sinking.
