Some brain teaser for the scientific-minded

[motorbiking]

So back to the OP question, I am going with this:
- Each small tile can be stuck independently from its neighbour. The larger tile takes the weight in one go.
- The forces of each individual small tile do not transfer across the neighbour covering the same area of the larger tile.
- As the tile size increases there is a greater risk of deforming and peeling.
- The curing time vs the impact of peeling of the large tile is significant.
- The adhesive is able to move more in the large tile during its tacky state, which may weaken the bond. i.e. glue pulling on glue rather than ceiling and tile

Of course if the tile was secured in place until the adhesive had cured and strengthened. That would be a game changer.

 

[MNW67]

Of course if the tile was secured in place until the adhesive had cured and strengthened. That would be a game changer.

That is the only way to answer the question with any certainty. Otherwise, there are too many variables.

 

[martygturner]

Surface tension creates a film on the water, the water molecules are attracted to each other. The pin has a greater mass than the displace water, if you dropped the pin in, it would sink, but place it carefully and it floats on the surface tension. The temperature of the water is relevant. It doesn't work with hot water.

Not really there is no "film" its just the bonds of hydrogen are stiff and these are evenly distributed through the water column, at its boundary there is no other free hydrogen to link with so the surface links with each other and the rest of the mass of hydrogen in the water hence we get surface tension, its the tension of the whole mass as displayed at the boundary, the same surface tension that allows a plane to resist a pin also causes water droplets to form spheres out of a tap and water to dome up in a glass. Its entropy, water always wants to balance itself into a sphere where there are no other factors involved, all the forces of attraction of hydrogen are balanced around its own mass.

If you want more than a simplistic answer have a look at fields forms and flows for the maths and fluid dynamics for the physics or astronomy for how stars work.... its a cracking read.

 

[MNW67]

Not really there is no "film" its just the bonds of hydrogen are stiff and these are evenly distributed through the water column, at its boundary there is no other free hydrogen to link with so the surface links with each other and the rest of the mass of hydrogen in the water hence we get surface tension, its the tension of the whole mass as displayed at the boundary, the same surface tension that allows a plane to resist a pin also causes water droplets to form spheres out of a tap and water to dome up in a glass. Its entropy, water always wants to balance itself into a sphere where there are no other factors involved, all the forces of attraction of hydrogen are balanced around its own mass.

If you want more than a simplistic answer have a look at fields forms and flows for the maths and fluid dynamics for the physics or astronomy for how stars work.... its a cracking read.

I am not sure what you mean by "stiff". I have always thought hydrogen bonds were pretty flexible compared to covalent bonds. Or did you mean stiff relative to other intermolecular forces.

I don't think the mass of water has any real impact. Once the depth of the water is more than a few molecules, the surface tension won't increase any further.

 

[motorbiking]

Not really there is no "film" its just the bonds of hydrogen are stiff and these are evenly distributed through the water column, at its boundary there is no other free hydrogen to link with so the surface links with each other and the rest of the mass of hydrogen in the water hence we get surface tension, its the tension of the whole mass as displayed at the boundary, the same surface tension that allows a plane to resist a pin also causes water droplets to form spheres out of a tap and water to dome up in a glass. Its entropy, water always wants to balance itself into a sphere where there are no other factors involved, all the forces of attraction of hydrogen are balanced around its own mass.

If you want more than a simplistic answer have a look at fields forms and flows for the maths and fluid dynamics for the physics or astronomy for how stars work.... its a cracking read.

The term skin or film is used in fluid dynamics to describe the unbalanced molecules at the surface. For molecules at the surface, the cohesive forces are unbalanced as there are no molecules above them.

 

[martygturner]

I am not sure what you mean by "stiff". I have always thought hydrogen bonds were pretty flexible compared to covalent bonds. Or did you mean stiff relative to other intermolecular forces.

I don't think the mass of water has any real impact. Once the depth of the water is more than a few molecules, the surface tension won't increase any further.

As I pointed out if you want a less simplistic answer do some research, covalent bonding is not the only factor at play in a water column... think of bubbles and you might get there... its all about boundary conditions and it is not a chemistry question, that's just how molecules bond its about how the operate once formed into a mass.

 

[martygturner]

The term skin or film is used in fluid dynamics to describe the unbalanced molecules at the surface. For molecules at the surface, the cohesive forces are unbalanced as there are no molecules above them.

google is your friend I see...

 

[motorbiking]

google is your friend I see...

Seems odd to start a sentence "not really.." to comment on a sentence that was broadly correct. The molecules at the top have formed a film that is not penetrated by the pin.

 

[MNW67]

As I pointed out if you want a less simplistic answer do some research, covalent bonding is not the only factor at play in a water column... think of bubbles and you might get there... its all about boundary conditions and it is not a chemistry question, that's just how molecules bond its about how the operate once formed into a mass.

It has been a long time since I studied this stuff, but that sounds wrong. And to be honest, rather imprecise. The properties of the surfaces of liquids are often independent of the body of the liquid, once you get past the first few layers of molecules. And it is very much a chemistry question. Which is why chemists study "Surface Chemistry".

 

[motorbiking]

It has been a long time since I studied this stuff, but that sounds wrong. And to be honest, rather imprecise. The properties of the surfaces of liquids are often independent of the body of the liquid, once you get past the first few layers of molecules. And it is very much a chemistry question. Which is why chemists study "Surface Chemistry".

Otherwise a ship's buoyancy would depend on the mass of water beneath it.

 

[noseall]

A ceiling of mosaic tiles will fare better than a ceiling with mahoosive tiles, if there is any flexing.