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How Soap Floats Your Boat

By David Fisher, About.com

3 of 3

Make the Boat Go

Breaking the Tension

Breaking the Tension

David Fisher
Now, squirt a few drops of liquid soap or dishwashing detegent into the notch in the back of the boat.

Wheeeeeee! The boat moves forward!

How did it do that? The soap broke the surface tension behind the boat. The water molecules stop "sticking together" and instead start pushing away from each other - pushing the boat with them.

For more information about the chemistry of soap, check ou How Soap Cleans

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