Which best explains why this paperclip stays afloat on top of the water? the paperclip is less dense than water. the paperclip has less mass than water. the water has high viscosity. the water has surface tension.

The water has surface tension. Since the water towards the surface doesn't have as much weight being pushed downward on it as the water on the bottom, the water molecules push in three directions. up, left, and right. The molecules moving left and right keep an equilibrium on the surface. The molecules pushing up, creates a strong enough force to keep the paperclip floating.