Hydrophobicity

Hydrophobicity is a big word that talks about how things can either like or not like to be around water. Think about playing with your toys in a bath - some of them will float and stay on top of the water, while others will sink to the bottom.

There are some things that really don't like being around water, and we call those things hydrophobic. Sometimes, these things will even push water away from them! It's kind of like how your hands push water away when you make a big splash in the bath.

On the other hand, there are some things that really like being around water, and we call those things hydrophilic. These things will actually stick to water and mix in with it. When you mix up your bubble bath solution and it makes lots of bubbles, that's a hydrophilic substance!

Scientists use the words hydrophobic and hydrophilic to describe how different materials interact with water. It's a really important idea in chemistry and biology because it helps us understand how things move and interact in the world around us. So basically, just like some toys like water and others don't, some things in science like water and others don't!