Page 145 - The Creation Of The Universe

Harun Yahya (Adnan Oktar) 143

physical properties which, as it turns out, are also extraordinarily fit for life.
One of these is water's surface tension, which is extremely high.
"Surface tension" is defined as a behavior of the free surface of a liquid to
act like an elastic skin under tension. It is caused by attractive forces be-
tween the molecules in the surface of the liquid.
The best examples of the effects of surface tension are to be seen in wa-
ter. Indeed, water's surface tension is so high that some odd physical phe-
nomena take place as a result. A cup can hold a water mass which is slight-
ly higher than its own height without spilling out. A metal needle careful-
ly placed on a motionless watery surface will float.
The surface tension of water is much higher than that of any oth-
er known liquid. Some of the biological consequences of this are crucial
and this is particularly evident in the case of plants.
Have you ever wondered how plants are able to convey water from the
depths of the soil many meters into the air without pumps, muscles, or the
like? The answer to this puzzle is surface tension. The channels in the roots
and stems of plants are created to take advantage of water's high surface
tension. These channels grow thinner the higher they reach and quite lit-
erally cause water to "creep up" on its own.
What makes this excellent structure possible is the high surface tension
of water. If water's surface tension were as low as it is in most other liq-
uids, it would be physiologically impossible for large plants such as trees
to live on dry land.
Another important consequence of water's high surface tension is the
fragmentation of rock. Because its surface tension is so high, water is able
to penetrate into the deepest recesses of rock through the tiniest of cracks
where it freezes when the temperature drops below zero. Water, as we
have seen, is unusual in that it expands when it freezes. This expansion ex-
erts interior forces upon rock that causes it eventually to break up. This
process is vitally important because it releases the minerals trapped in rock
into the environment and also contributes to the formation of soil.