Anti-Gravity Water - Sick Science! #073

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[knottreel]

I love the effect but the music is about to give me a seizure. 

[arthurcabral]

Spatial cohesion is a phenomenon that allows one to float a double edge razor blade in a bowl of water. In this instance, the water is soaking the threads of the fabric causing the fabric to adhere to the sides of the glass (due to spatial cohesion).

[aaronsjoberg]

The air pressure above the water is less than the air pressure outside the glass, so the pressure outside the glass pushes up just enough to hold up the handkerchief, thus hold up the water...my guess is that it will not last very long.

[DavidLeeKersey]

It's a combination of surface tension, cohesion, and air pressure.   

[naturalscience]

it works with a sheet of thin plastic, too. The air/atmospheric pressure which pushes upwards on the scarf is higher than the hydrostatic pressure of the water.
However, that´s what I learned in physics :D

[reddragon]

Basically, the handkerchief blocks air from getting into the glass. If air can't get in, water can't go out, therefore, the water cannot push off the handkerchief and causing the water to spill everywhere.

[NikoGustafson]

haha, like how at the end the blue letters spell "SCIENCE"

[dendog]

Surface tension of water blocks gaps in cloth and helps maintain a small vacuum. Vacuum would quickly disappear if the glass wasn't turned upside down. the low or negative pressure created inside the glass wants to pull all substances to it. The normal atmosheric pressure outside the glass being higher wants to crush all contained substance that are at a negative pressure. It does so at the weakest point the cloth. Pushing from outside and pulling from insed keeps the water in the glass

[minecraftpro]

so many people dont know this... but thats because of the water tension

[Krazyvet]

What actually happens is that all molecules are attracted by cohesion while the air inside the cup, when you invert it, creates a vaccum effect when the water is trying to exit the cup, it sucks the air inside thus creating lift to the surface of the water. You can do the same trick with a paper or other material. The problem is that if the material breathes, the water eventually will percolate thru it and it will eventually collapse.

[sickscience]

The scarf does absorb a small amount of water, but not much:) What else could be causing the water to stay in the glass?

[Joe_Brainer]

It's actually not Anti-Gravity. Gravity still works. In fact, Gravity is one of the reasons WHY this works. 

[stricknacco]

The air pressure pushing upwards keeps it there. And there is no space for water to sneak out and thus equalize pressure, so it just chills.

[Aerospacedu]

The reason the water stays is because of surface tension. The tiny perforations in the cloth maintain the mass of water in the glass because of the binding tension of water to the cloth and the surface tension of the water meniscus between the edges of the perforations. The same trick can be done with insect screen or something similar over the neck of a bottle filled with water. 

[kaseymathew]

Atmospheric pressure pushing up on the handkerchief keeps the water in place. (This is usually done with a notecard)

[theog]

It is because the pressure of the air .

[cfb]

three reasons:
1) adhesion: the water molecules stick to the cloth
2) cohesion: the water molecules stick to each other
3) atmospheric pressure: the air is pushing the water upward, into the glass, supporting the weight of the mesh formed by the water, thanks to cohesion and adhesion

[misshankey]

Water molecules connect to other molecules. the handkerchief gets wet and the water molecules stick to it and so the handkerchief does not allow any more water to pass through it and because of the suction like when u take a sip of water through a straw and put your finger on one end covering the hole it keeps the water inside

[DHTHORNE]

It's the same thing that makes a Barometer work, plus there is surface tension and capillary action. The napkin creates an airtight seal because the water is drawn into it and surface tension plays a role in keeping it sealed as well. Then because air can compress/expand and water cannot, the force of the air pressure outside the glass is stronger than the mass of the water, and the air inside the glass requires a certain amount of added force to be expanded. That's pretty close.

[Gofishygo-Peopleunit]

Molecular cohesion of the water molecules prevents it from draining through the cloth, in turn preventing any more air from entering the glass, so the water stays put.

An equally cool feat can be achieved with flammable gas and a screen. That's how gas lanterns work.