While biking, we made a few nice stops to enjoy the nature. One of them was a small creek or water stream. The creek was hidden between the trees, so not much of the blue sky got reflected, but the brown color was just as nice and calming. There were small fish and lots of these aquatic insects floating on the water. They never drown and glide so smoothly. This can be simply explained as surface tension.
Water Striders are able to walk on the water because of surface tension and non-wettable hairs on their legs. As you can see in the photos, the insects are pushing down on the water, but the surface tension forces of the water are stronger than the bugs, so the bug does not drown. However, you can see the distortion that I picked up, and even with the sun shining in the right direction, the indented water became a lens and magnified the steps in the form of a six-circled shadow.
I am not an expert when it comes to these creatures. Read below to find out more and to find out how the water stider is recreated in a form of a robot.
Robot walks on water from PhysOrg.com.
"Water striders, insects that walk on the surface of the water, may never set foot on land in their lives, and yet they’re not swimmers. Over the past million or so years, this insect—sometimes called a water skater—has optimized its use of surface tension to balance its 0.01-gram body on lakes, ponds, and even oceans."
~ Anna
Water Striders are able to walk on the water because of surface tension and non-wettable hairs on their legs. As you can see in the photos, the insects are pushing down on the water, but the surface tension forces of the water are stronger than the bugs, so the bug does not drown. However, you can see the distortion that I picked up, and even with the sun shining in the right direction, the indented water became a lens and magnified the steps in the form of a six-circled shadow.
Robot walks on water from PhysOrg.com.
"Water striders, insects that walk on the surface of the water, may never set foot on land in their lives, and yet they’re not swimmers. Over the past million or so years, this insect—sometimes called a water skater—has optimized its use of surface tension to balance its 0.01-gram body on lakes, ponds, and even oceans."
~ Anna
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