What property of water allows it to remain slightly above the rim of a glass?

The property of water that allows it to remain slightly above the rim of a glass is surface tension. Surface tension occurs due to the cohesive forces between water molecules, which are strongly attracted to each other. This cohesive property creates a 'film' on the surface of the water, allowing it to resist external force and maintain its shape, even slightly bulging above the rim of the glass without spilling.

Surface tension plays a crucial role in various phenomena, such as the ability of certain insects to walk on water and the formation of droplets. As water molecules at the surface experience an imbalance of cohesive forces, they create a sort of elastic surface that can hold more water than the container physically would suggest.

In contrast, other options like specific gravity relate to the density of substances and how they compare to the density of water but do not directly explain how water behaves at the surface. Capillary action involves the ability of liquid to flow in narrow spaces without external forces, which can contribute to the movement of water in tubes or soil but does not account for the surface bulge over a rim. Opacity refers to how much light passes through a material and is irrelevant to the behavior of water at the surface level. Therefore, surface tension is the key property that explains