When pouring a liquid, why do tiny drops sometimes skim the surface?

Subject: When pouring a liquid, why do tiny drops sometimes skim the surface?

Date: Sun Sep 17 15:05:53 2000
Posted by Jill Sutherland
Grade level: nonaligned School: No school entered.
City: Bournemouth State/Province: No state entered. Country: Uk
Area of science: Physics
ID: 969217553.Ph

Message:


When pouring out a cup of tea, or pouring water into a jug, I sometimes 
notice small drops of the liquid skim rapidly across the surface. Why and 
or how does this happen? Presumably the surface tension can hold the 
weight of the droplet, but wouldn't the surface tension of the droplet be 
the same as the same and be 'cancelled out' in some way?

Re: When pouring a liquid, why do tiny drops sometimes skim the surface?

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