why cant we create holes in water?

Question

When we put our finger in water and then remove it, the hole that we made disappears and water goes to the previous state. Why is that holes are really temporary in water?

Answer 1

Hi Sara H.,

Water between 0 - 100 C is a liquid fluid. Liquid is a nearly in-compressible fluid that conforms to the shape of its container but retains a constant volume independent of pressure.

Above 100 C and water is a gaseous fluid.

Freeze the water (below 0 C) and water is a solid, now make your hole.

I hope this helps, Joe

Answer 2

A finger is (basically) a solid. When it is placed in liquid water it displaces the water (thus the water level rises). When that finger is removed the greatest force on the water again is gravity. Thus, the liquid water level return to the lowest possible level because of the pull of gravity -- the hole fills in.

Note that on the Space Station (very low gravity), the surface tension and other factors are more powerful than gravity, so the water globules behave much differently -- they float in all directions.