Why is it that a small percentage of the water is able to defy gravity and cling to the inside of the glass? Also if you hold it upside down long enough more will eventually come out but it feels like it takes forever.
In: Physics
Water molecules have a highly negatively charged oxygen atom bound to two positively charged hydrogen atoms. The final structure has a very lopsided charge, with both hydrogen atoms on one side and the negative oxygen atom’s butt sticking out the other.
This makes every water molecule a tiny little magnet, and they like to cling to eachother and many surfaces.
This force isn’t strong enough to hold the entire volume of water against gravity, but it will help a film of water cling to the surface for a while.
Things tend to stick to each other. Water will stick to water and will also stick to the glass. Gravity will make majority of the water fall out of the glass, but the last couple drops have more “stickiness” to the glass and will take more time to leave. The part that stays even if you hold it upside down has enough “stickiness” that gravity is not enough to make it fall out.
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