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GATE Exam » GATE Study Materials » Chemical Engineering » Surface Tension
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Surface Tension

What is surface tension? Which affects the surface tension? What are the examples of surface tension? Learn everything easy and descriptive about surface tension.

Table of Content
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Surface tension is the tendency of a liquid to resist a force applied perpendicularly to its surface. Surface tension is an essential factor in many processes, such as forming bubbles in a liquid, and it plays a critical role in many engineering applications. Surface tension is most easily understood by thinking of what happens when you place your thumb on the surface of a glass of water. The water tries to pull your thumb into the glass, but it cannot because your thumb has too much friction with the surface.

Some examples include:

  • When you pour milk into a glass, it rises around the edge of the glass due to surface tension

  • When you dip your spoon into a cup of water, it’s easier for you to remove it because there is less friction between your spoon and the water

Surface tension has two components: attraction and repulsion. The surface tension is caused by intermolecular forces of attraction between molecules in the liquid. The attractive component, called the van der Waals force, arises from the polar covalent bonds in molecules caused by electrons being shared between atoms in a molecule.

Surface tension

Surface tension is the force that resists the flow of a fluid over a surface. Surface tension is observed in nature, such as in water droplets on glass or water vapour on the skin. The presence of surface tension is significant because it affects many properties of fluids and objects immersed in them. For example, when an object floats on top of water due to buoyancy forces, the object’s weight causes the surrounding liquid to exert pressure against its surface. This pressure is resisted by the surface tension acting on both sides of the object’s contact with liquid.

The interaction of two forces causes surface tension:

· The force due to the molecules of liquid pushing against each other

· The force due to the molecules of liquid pulling on each other

The first force is surface pressure, while the second is surface tension.

Surface tension is a property of liquids that occurs when the forces acting on the liquid are balanced. This property results in surface tension in liquids. The forces that contribute to surface tension are molecular, intermolecular, and external surface pressure. The surface tension of 1 dynes/cm is required to prevent liquid from spreading out. Surface tension keeps liquids in containers, such as in a bottle or a jar. Temperature differences can also cause surface tension. For example, it becomes denser and harder to flow through pipes when heated water.

Surface tension is due to

Surface tension is the force that resists the motion of a liquid when it is placed in a container with a narrow opening. The surface tension of water is due to the attraction between water molecules and hydrogen bonds. The hydrogen bonds are formed by two hydrogens on adjacent molecules, which results in an attractive force that holds all the molecules together. Surface tension is due to the cohesive forces between molecules in a liquid that prevent it from spreading out. The cohesive forces between molecules in a liquid cause surface tension. Surface tension can be seen by looking at the water’s surface. When you drop a small object into water, it will sink to the bottom because of surface tension and then rise back up to the top when it breaks through this layer of water.

Surface tension meaning

Surface tension is a physical property of liquids defined as the force that resists fluid movement into the spaces between its molecules. Surface tension is often used to describe surface tension in liquids. Surface tension can be observed when water is poured into a glass, forming a meniscus. Surface tension can also be seen in soap bubbles, round spheres with taut outer skin and resistance to stretching.

Surface tension examples

Surface tension keeps water from dripping off an object and is also what causes soap bubbles to rise. Examples: Surface tension can be seen in many everyday examples, such as when you pour water into a glass, and it slowly forms a layer on top of the water, or when you fill up your glass with ice cubes, and it takes some time for them to melt

Examples of surface tension are:

  • Bubbles: when you blow into a straw or drink through one, you create bubbles on the surface of the fluid

  • Walking insects on the water

  • Float a needle on the water’s surface

  • Rainproof tent materials are those in which the surface tension of water bridges the pores in the tent material

  • Jaundice clinical test

  • Cleaning of clothes by soaps and detergents lowers the surface tension of the water

  • Using cold water to wash

  • The surface tension of water provides the wall tension for the formation of water bubbles, resulting in round bubbles

  • This phenomenon also determines the shape of liquid droplets

Conclusion

Surface tension is a force that resists the flow of a fluid over its surface. It is caused by the atoms or molecules of one fluid attracting the other. Surface tension is the force that causes liquids and gases to rise. It is caused by the surface tension of liquids and gases. The introduction to this section talks about how surface tension is a force that prevents the flow of a particular type of liquid over its surface. Surface tension can be seen in many everyday examples, such as when you pour water into a glass, and it slowly forms a layer on top of the water, or when you fill up your glass with ice cubes

faq

Frequently asked questions

Get answers to the most common queries related to the Gate Examination Preparation.

What is Surface Tension, and How does it Work?

Answer: Surface tension is a force that pulls on liquid molecules, preventing them from spreading out on the surface...Read full

How much surface tension does water have at its boiling point?

Answer: Water has no surface tension at its boiling point.

 

Answer: Surface tension is a force that pulls on liquid molecules, preventing them from spreading out on the surface of a liquid. Surface tension exists when molecules in a liquid are attracted to each other but not as strong as the surface repels them. Surface tension creates an imbalance, which causes the molecules to be pulled towards the surface at an angle. This force is called surface tension because it acts like a “surface” that prevents the spread of liquids.

Answer: Water has no surface tension at its boiling point.

 

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