Chapter 2, Problem 14TYU

SYNTHESIZE YOUR KNOWLEDGE

How do cats drink? Scientists using high-speed video have that cats use an interesting technique to drink aqueous substances like water and milk. Four times a second, the cat touches the tip of its tongue to the water and draws a column of water up into its mouth (as you can see in the photo), which then shuts before gravity can pull the water back down. Describe how the properties of water allow cats to drink in this fashion, including how water’s molecular structure contributes to the process.