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Why does butter float on water?

There are two concepts to address to answer this question: polarity and density. First, water is a polar molecule which means that one end (the oxygen end) has a slight negative charge and the other end (where the hydrogens are) has a slight positive charge. This is because oxygen is more electronegative and pulls the electrons closer to it than the hydrogens. As a lipid, butter is nonpolar and has an equal charge throughout the molecule. As a rule in chemistry, polar and nonpolar molecules do not mix, which explains why the butter stays together and will not mix with the water. 


Second, the butter floats because it is less dense than water. Water has a density of 1 g/mL, and butter has a density of about 0.9 g/mL. This slight difference is enough for the butter to float. In order for any substance to sink in water its density must be greater than 1 g/mL. 

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