which type of intermolecular force in water creates the surface tension that allows the stones to skip across the top of the water

Hydrogen bonding

Explanation:

Water is a compound found readily in nature. It is made up of interatomic forces of covalent bonds that connects the hydrogen and oxygen bonds together in a definite ratio.

the old alchemists made significant contributions to science even though there starting premises were off a bit. their conclusions after failure would steer them into better directions for investigation. science is no more than close observation and the initial mistakes result in rethinking and retrying experiments.