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Capillarity:: Expression of Capillary Rise

Capillarity refers to the rise or fall of a liquid in a small tube relative to the general liquid level. Capillary rise occurs when the liquid rises in the tube, while capillary depression is when it falls. The height of rise or fall depends on factors like surface tension, tube diameter, and liquid density. Capillary rise can be expressed as h = 4σ/ρgd, where h is the height, σ is surface tension, ρ is density, g is acceleration due to gravity, and d is tube diameter. Similarly, capillary fall can be expressed as the same equation but with a different contact angle. Vapour pressure is the pressure at which a liquid vaporizes, and cavitation occurs when

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306 views3 pages

Capillarity:: Expression of Capillary Rise

Capillarity refers to the rise or fall of a liquid in a small tube relative to the general liquid level. Capillary rise occurs when the liquid rises in the tube, while capillary depression is when it falls. The height of rise or fall depends on factors like surface tension, tube diameter, and liquid density. Capillary rise can be expressed as h = 4σ/ρgd, where h is the height, σ is surface tension, ρ is density, g is acceleration due to gravity, and d is tube diameter. Similarly, capillary fall can be expressed as the same equation but with a different contact angle. Vapour pressure is the pressure at which a liquid vaporizes, and cavitation occurs when

Uploaded by

Vivek Karthik
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Capillarity:

 Capillarity is defined as a phenomenon of rise or fall of a liquid surface in a small tube


relative to the adjacent general level of liquid when the tube is held vertically in the
liquid
 The rise of liquid surface is known as capillary rise, when the fall of liquid surface is
known as capillary depression
 It is expressed in terms of cm or mm of liquid. Its value depends upon the specific
weight of the liquid, diameter of the tube and surface tension of the liquid.

Expression of Capillary Rise:

 Consider a glass tube of small diameter‘d’ opened at both ends and is inserted in a
liquid, say water. The liquid will rise in the tube above the level of the liquid
 Let h = height of the liquid in the tube
 Under s state of equilibrium, the weight of liquid of height h is balanced by the force at
the surface of the liquid in the tube, but the force at the surface of the liquid in the tube
is due to surface tension


 Let σ = surface tension of liquid
θ = Angle of contact between liquid and glass tube
The weight of liquid of height h in the tube = (Area of tube x h) x ρ x g
= πd2/4 x h x ρ x g
Where ρ = Density of liquid
Vertical component of the surface tensile force = (σ x circumference) x cos θ
= σ x πd x cos θ

By equating above 2 equations we get

h = 4 σ cos θ / ρ x g x d
Value of θ between water and clean glass tube is approximately equal to zero and
hence cos θ is equal to unity, then rise of water is

h = 4σ / ρ x g x d

Expression for Capillary Fall:

 If the glass tube is dipped in mercury the level of mercury in the tube will be lower than the
general level outside liquid
Then in equilibrium two forces are acting on the mercury inside the tube. First one is due to
surface tension acting in the downward direction and is equal to σ x πd x cos θ
 Second force is due to hydrostatic force acting upward and is equal to intensity of pressure at a
depth h x area
P x πd2/4 = ρ x g x h x πd2/4
Equating the two, we get
h = 4 σ cos θ / ρ x g x d
Value of θ for mercury and glass tube is 1280

Vapour Pressure and Cavitation:

 A change from the liquid state to the gaseous state is called vaporization
 Vaporization ( which depends upon the prevailing pressure and temperature condition) occurs
because of continuous escaping of the molecules through the free liquid surface
 Consider a liquid confined in a closed vessel. Let the temperature of liquid is 20 0C and pressure
is atmospheric. This liquid will vaporise at 100 0C
 When the vaporization takes place, the molecules escape from the free surface of the liquid,
these vapour molecules gets accumulated in the space between the free liquid surface and top
of the vessel.
 These accumulated vapours exert a pressure on the liquid surface, this pressure is known as
vapour pressure of the liquid or this is the pressure at which the liquid is converted into vapours
 Again consider the liquid at 200C at atmospheric pressure in the closed vessel
 If the pressure above the liquid is reduced by some means, the boiling temperature will also
reduce
 If the pressure is reduced to such an extent that it becomes equal to or less than the vapour
pressure, the boiling of the liquid will start, though the temperature of liquid is 20 0C
 Thus a liquid may boil even at ordinary temperatures, if the pressure above the liquid surface is
reduced so as to be equal or less than the vapour pressure of liquid at that temperature
 Now consider a flowing liquid in a system, if the pressure at any point in this flowing liquid
becomes equal or less than the vapour pressure the vaporization of the liquid starts.
 The bubbles of these vapours are carried by the flowing liquid into the region of high pressure
where they collapse giving rise to high impact pressure
 The pressure developed by the collapsing bubbles is so high that the rise of high that the
material from the adjoining boundaries gets eroded and cavities are formed on them. This
[phenomenon is known as Cavitation

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