Floating Paper Clips | English
Channel: Arvind Gupta
Date: 2015-09-03

Gently float a paper clip on water. On placing a drop on soap solution the clip will sink in the glass. Why does this happen? For doing this experiment you will need a glass of tap water, two paper clips, soap solution and a dropper. First try dropping a paper clip in water. The clip will sink to the bottom. Then open the second clip at right angles to make an improvised holder. Lay the clip on this holder and then gently float it on the water. Water has an invisible skin which enables some insects to skate on it. Now place a drop of soap solution near the floating clip. The soap solution will lower the surface tension of water – or weaken its skin and the clip will sink below.
 Try floating two paper clips – both will rise to the highest water level. On placing a drop of soap solution near the clips the water skin will weaken and both clips will sink to the bottom of the glass. 
This work is supported by IUCAA(www.iucaa.ernet.in) and TATA Trust (www.tata.com/aboutus/sub_index/Tata-trusts)

Credits: Ashok Rupner, Manish Jain, Pradnya Pujari, Shivaji Mane, Jyoti Hiremath, Arvind Gupta, Vidula Mhaiskar TATA Trust: Education is one of the key focus areas for Tata Trusts, aiming towards enabling access of quality education to the underprivileged population in India. To facilitate quality in teaching and learning of Science education through workshops, capacity building and resource creation, Tata Trusts have been supporting Muktangan Vigyan Shodhika (MVS), IUCAA's Children’s Science Centre, since inception. To know more about other initiatives of Tata Trusts, please visit www.tatatrusts.org