To start the experiment do the following:

1. Fill a clean beaker with purified water almost to the brim. [ Click on the beaker to start]
2. Sprinkle talcum powder on the water surface carefully to form a fine layer of powder. [Click on the talcum powder from the apparatus table]
3. Add only one drop of detergent solution in the middle of the water surface. Observe what happens. [Click on the detergent available on the apparatus table]
4. Fill another clean beaker with purified water almost to the brim. Float a small sewing needle on the surface of water by very carefully lowering it into the beaker (avoid disturbing the surface with your fingers). [Click to select the needle and add it from the apparatus shelf.]
5. Once you have a needle floating, add very gently a small drop of detergent solution away from the needle. Observe what happens. [To add, click on the detergent available on the shelf]
6. Use hard water instead of purified water and repeat steps 1, 2 and 3. Are the observations different from those with purified water? [Select the beaker by clicking on it and repeat the above procedure]
7. For the microscopic view of the observations, Click on the microscopic "analysis" tab at the end of the experiment.