Florida Biology EOC Practice Test

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Prepare for the Florida Biology EOC Test. Use our comprehensive flashcards and multiple-choice questions, complete with hints and explanations, to get ready for your Biology End-of-Course exam!

Each practice test/flash card set has 50 randomly selected questions from a bank of over 500. You'll get a new set of questions each time!

Practice this question and more.

Which property of water contributes to its high surface tension?

Cohesion between water molecules
High specific heat
Low density of frozen water
Universal solvent property

The correct answer is: Cohesion between water molecules

Water molecules are polar, meaning they have a slightly positive charge on one end and a slightly negative charge on the other. This polarity allows water molecules to stick together, or exhibit cohesion, through hydrogen bonding. This cohesive force creates surface tension, the tendency of the surface of a liquid to resist an external force. This is why water droplets can form on surfaces and insects can walk on water - the surface tension of water is strong due to its cohesive nature. Specific heat (the amount of energy required to raise the temperature of a substance) and the universal solvent property of water are not directly related to surface tension, making options B and D incorrect. While the low density of frozen water (resulting in ice floating on water) is a unique property of water, it is not directly related to its surface tension, making option C incorrect.