Why does water have high surface tension?

In order to explain why water has high surface tension, or, in other words, why the surface of water is relatively strong, we must first examine the partial charges on a molecule of water. Water molecules are said to be dipolar because the oxygen end of the molecule has a slightly negative charge whilst the hydrogen end has a slightly positive charge. This is because the oxygen nucleus attracts the bonding electrons (which are negatively charged) more strongly than the hydrogen nuclei do, so the oxygen atom is more negatively charged than the hydrogen atoms.A hydrogen bond forms when the slightly negative oxygen end of one water molecule is attracted to the slightly positive hydrogen end of another water molecule. Therefore, water molecules are cohesive because they are strongly attracted to each other. Water has a high surface tension because hydrogen bonds among water molecules resist stretching or breaking the surface. Water molecules are more strongly cohesive to each other than they are to air. This is also why the surface of a body of water is a good habitat for organisms such as the pond skater because they are supported by the high surface tension of the water.