Why do lice sink in rubbing alcohol but float on water?

Question

i do NOT have lice now

a couple months ago i was cleaning my hair out with a lice comb (I had it back when school was in) and i put them in water to see if they would drown. they didn't. then i heard that people put them in rubbing alcohol to kill them. i did this, they floated for 2 seconds and sunk to the bottom of the cup.

why is this?

Answer 1

lice can swim, not float

i'm pretty sure the rubbing alcohol kills them, so that they sink when they die

Answer 2

Alcohol has a density of 0.87g/ml

Water has a density of 1g/ml

If this fact is indeed true, then the lice's density would have to lie somewhere between 0.87g/ml and 1g/ml

0.87g/ml < lice < 1g/ml

Answer 3

water has a higher density.

Answer 4

  The alcohol wets them and they sink,they are relatively impervious to water so they float,like ducks do.

Answer 5

water has a higher surface tension than ethanol - allowing the lice to 'float' as well as other insects to run on water.