Understanding The Applications Of Surface Tension

Surface tension is a special property shown by the surface of any liquid. The tendency of any surface to liquid to shrink at rest. It shrinks and takes the form of the minimum surface area that is possible for that surface of the liquid. There is much importance of surface tension in our day-to-day life as well. One possible application of surface tension is that this property allows objects with a larger density than water to float on the water’s surface without becoming submerged. Examples of such high-density objects are insects, razor blades, and many more. 

Examples of surface tension 

There are many examples of surface tension. For example, a water strider is a small insect. It can easily walk on the surface of the water by the property of surface tension. Some other examples of surface tension are given below: 

• Many insects walk on water’s surface without even getting partially submerged. 
• Liquid droplets get their shape through the phenomenon of surface tension.
• Floating of a needle on the surface of the water. 
• Water bubbles are formed due to the surface tension provided by water in the form of wall tension. 
• The surface tension of water is responsible for bridging down the pores present in the waterproof tents. 
• Cold water washing through the property of surface tension. 
• The tests in clinics for jaundice.
• The surface tension of water is lowered by cleaning the clothes with detergents and soaps. 
• The surface tension of disinfectants. 

Applications of surface tension in daily life 

There are many applications of surface tension in day to day on which daily activities depend. There have been many developments in technologies as well as chemicals to modify surface tension. 

• Soaps and detergents have several uses in everyday life. Everything gets cleaned properly while washing with soaps or detergents. The lower surface tension of water causes the cleansing action of soaps and molecules. This makes it easier for soaps and detergents to act and soak in the areas of clothes or other things that are highly dirty. 
• The surface tension of water decreases by warming the water up. The molecules of water start to move instantly when the water is heated. The intermolecular force of attraction is reduced, and the warmed-up water can be dispersed over the larger surface area. 
• Surface tension plays an important role in physics as well as in chemistry. Hay’s test is done for people who have jaundice. This test is highly based on the property of surface tension. It is used to detect the presence of bile salts in urine. Bile salts reduce the surface tension of the droplets of fats in the intestine. This way, fats can easily be broken by enzymes. 

Sulfur powder is sprinkled on a fresh sample of urine taken for a hay test. Sulfur particles will sink into the bottom of the sample if bile salts are present. This is because bile salts lower the surface tension. This way, the person is tested positive for jaundice. 

• The liquid’s ability to flow through the narrow spaces in opposition to gravity forces is known as capillary action. The attraction between glass and water is caused due to force known as adhesion. Due to surface tension, the inside of the glass contracts and starts to rise. This phenomenon can easily be noticed in the liquid molecules present between the hairs of a paintbrush. 
• The liquid present on the top of a tube of mercury is always either convex or concave. This is caused due to surface tension between the cohesive forces and adhesive forces that are present between the walls of the tube. This way, a meniscus is formed. It is widely used to calculate contact angles as well as surface tension. 
• The surface tension of pure water is very high, so the formation of bubbles is very difficult in them. Soap helps to reduce surface tension and hence helps to form bubbles. The surface tension helps to overcome the internal pressure of the bubble.
• Wine is composed of alcohol and water with some other sugars. Due to the capillary motion of the glass, wine rises from the sides of the glass. The alcohol evaporates due to high vapour pressure. This increases surface tension. This results in droplets on the surface of the wine. 
• There is a deep mechanism that is involved in a snake bite. Many snakes kill through their venom that is injected due to surface tension. Due to surface tension, the venom moves through the open groove by capillary action. When snakes’ fangs are in the air, the venom is held by surface tension. 

Conclusion 

There are many applications of surface tension and the importance of surface tension. These uses and applications can widely be seen in physics, chemistry, and day-to-day activities. There are many factors on which surface tension depends. These factors are temperature, impurities of medium, surfactants, and many others. The force that is responsible for surface tension is known as cohesive forces. All liquids possess the property of surface tension. 

In the process of surface tension, the surface area of liquid is minimized. There are many examples of surface tension, such as walking insects on the water, bubble formation, and many others. Due to surface tension, the surface of liquids looks like a stretched membrane. The water has high surface tension because molecular water attraction in water is high due to hydrogen bonding.