What do you mean by surface tension?

: the attractive force exerted upon the surface molecules of a liquid by the molecules beneath that tends to draw the surface molecules into the bulk of the liquid and makes the liquid assume the shape having the least surface area.

What is surface tension with example?

Surface tension, property of a liquid surface displayed by its acting as if it were a stretched elastic membrane. This phenomenon can be observed in the nearly spherical shape of small drops of liquids and of soap bubbles. Because of this property, certain insects can stand on the surface of water.

Is surface tension F L or F 2L?

T (surface tension) = F/2L. Surface tension of a liquid is measured by the normal force acting per unit length.

What is surface tension and its types?

Surface tension is the tendency of liquid surfaces at rest to shrink into the minimum surface area possible. At liquid–air interfaces, surface tension results from the greater attraction of liquid molecules to each other (due to cohesion) than to the molecules in the air (due to adhesion).

What happens if surface tension decreases?

As temperature decreases, surface tension increases. Conversely, as surface tension decreases strong; as molecules become more active with an increase in temperature becoming zero at its boiling point and vanishing at critical temperature.

What is dimensional formula of surface tension?

Surface Tension (T) = Force × Length-1. Or, T = [M1 L1 T-2] × [L-1] = M1 T-2. Therefore, the surface tension dimension formula is represented as M1 T-2.

How do you find surface tension?

Surface tension is given by the equation S = (ρhga/2) where S is the surface tension, ρ (or rho) is the density of the liquid you are measuring, h is the height the liquid rises in the tube, g is the acceleration due to gravity acting on the liquid (9.8 m/s2) and a is the radius of the capillary tube.

How do you break the surface tension of water?

In order for water to flow more easily into these small spaces, you need to decrease its surface tension. You can do this by adding soap, which is a surfactant (a material that decreases the surface tension of a liquid).

How do you calculate surface tension?

Surface tension is easily measured through the commonly used maximum bubble pressure method, a Wilhelmy balance, or a du Noüy ring tensiometer.

What liquid has the highest surface tension?

water
Besides mercury, water has the highest surface tension for all liquids, which is due to the hydrogen bonding in water molecules. The surface tension of water causes water molecules at the surface of the liquid (in contact with air) to hold closely together, forming an invisible film.

What happens when surface tension decreases?