Q: Why does a stream of water break into individual droplets as it falls? A: The spheres form through a force called surface tension, the same force that forms soap bubbles into spheres, said Michael Graham, a professor of chemical and biological engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. ?Surface tension exerts a force that minimizes the liquid?s surface area, and a long cylinder of fluid has more surface area than a string of droplets of fluid.?
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