What does it mean to overcome? For example: when water gains thermal energy, it starts to overcome the i.m.f but what does that mean?
In: Physics
If you have something sorta heavy sitting on the floor, try to push it. If you begin pushing extremely gently, then you will notice that even though you are applying a force, the friction between the object and the ground is sufficient to prevent any actual motion. Once you finally push hard enough, the object finally begins moving.
In a similar way on the scale of atoms and molecules, the non-uniformity of charge (Polar Molecules) causes some ends of a molecule to attract other ends of other molecules. This is why water tends to bead up on certain surfaces. The water is more attracted to other water than it is to the surface it is sitting on.
In order to get water to break free from its loose bonds to other water, you must supply a sufficient amount of force or energy to break apart these forces that occur within these molecules, or what you might call “Intra-Molecular Forces” (IMF).
To “overcome” means to overpower or overwhelm, to be stronger than (something else).
In this case, the thermal energy gives the water molecules more kinetic energy, to the point where the forces that hold one water molecule to another can no longer do so, and so the intermolecular force has been overcome.
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