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Surface Tension

The document discusses surface tension as a molecular phenomenon caused by cohesive forces between liquid molecules, and how this results in higher pressure inside curved liquid surfaces like droplets due to an imbalance in molecular forces. It also examines how surface tension leads to an excess pressure inside bubbles that depends on the bubble's radius, and how applying a charge to a bubble can cause it to expand due to electrostatic repulsion between the surface charges.

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Shihabudheen
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72 views16 pages

Surface Tension

The document discusses surface tension as a molecular phenomenon caused by cohesive forces between liquid molecules, and how this results in higher pressure inside curved liquid surfaces like droplets due to an imbalance in molecular forces. It also examines how surface tension leads to an excess pressure inside bubbles that depends on the bubble's radius, and how applying a charge to a bubble can cause it to expand due to electrostatic repulsion between the surface charges.

Uploaded by

Shihabudheen
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Surface Tension

Shihabudheen M
Assistant Professor in Physics
SNGS College, Pattambi
Surface Tension
 Pull or tension of the liquid surface
 Tangential force per unit length, acting
at right angles on either side of a line
imagined to be drawn in the free liquid
surface
𝐹
 Surface Tension=
𝐿

Unit - Nm-1
Dimension-
𝐹 MLT−2
Surface Tension= = =MT-2
𝐿 𝐿
Molecular Forces
 6XUIDFHWHQVLRQLVHVVHQWLDOO\DPROHFXODUSKHQRPHQRQ

 There are two types of molecular forces

Adhesive Force Cohesive Force


Force of attraction between Force of attraction between
Molecules of different substance Molecules of same substance
Molecular Range
 0ROHFXOHVRIDOLTXLGDWWUDFWRQHDQRWKHUGXHWRFRKHVLRQ

 FRKHVLRQGHFUHDVHVUDSLGO\ZLWKGLVWDQFH
range
 "Maximum distance upto which the force of
cohesion between the molecules exist"
 Order of 10-9m
 Different for different substances

range
Sphere of Influence
A sphere with molecule as centre & molecular range as radius
Surface Energy

 Inside molecule-balanced pull by other surrounding


moleculesWKHUHLVQRUHVXOWDQWFRKHVLYHIRUFH
 Surface Molecule-Unbalanced pull by other molecules
WKHUHVXOWDQWGRZQZDUGIRUFHLVWKHPD[LPXP
 PE surface molecule > PE inside molecule
𝑃𝐸 𝑊𝑜𝑟𝑘 𝑑𝑜𝑛𝑒
 Surface Energy = =
𝐴𝑟𝑒𝑎 𝑜𝑓 𝑙𝑖𝑞𝑢𝑖𝑑 𝑠𝑢𝑟𝑓𝑎𝑐𝑒 𝐴𝑟𝑒𝑎 𝑜𝑓 𝑙𝑖𝑞𝑢𝑖𝑑 𝑠𝑢𝑟𝑓𝑎𝑐𝑒

 Surface Energy=work done in increasing surface area of


liquid film by unity
 Surface Energy = Surface tension
Surface Tension & Surface Energy

Unit Dimension
Surface Tension 𝐹 Nm-1 MLT−2
=MT-2
𝐿 𝐿

Surface Energy 𝑃𝐸 Nm MLT−2L


=Nm-1 =MT-2
𝐴𝑟𝑒𝑎 𝑜𝑓 𝑙𝑖𝑞𝑢𝑖𝑑 𝑠𝑢𝑟𝑓𝑎𝑐𝑒 𝑚2 2
𝐿
Pressure difference across a curved
surface

Liquid surface is CONVEX


Liquid surface is plane
Net force due to surface tension is inward
Inward force=Outward force
For equilibrium, Pressure inside > Pressure outside
No pressure difference
Pressure inside - Pressure outside=Excess of pressure
Force due to excess pressure balances surface tension
Pressure difference across a curved
surface

Liquid surface is CONCAVE


Net force due to surface tension is outward
For equilibrium, Pressure inside < Pressure outside
Pressure outside - Pressure inside=Excess of pressure
Force due to excess pressure balances surface tension
Excess of Pressure inside a liquid drop
 For a spherical drop
 Liquid surface-convex
 surface tension-inward
 Pressure inside > Pressure outside

 Liquid Drop-2 hemispheres 𝜋𝑟 2 𝑃


2𝜋𝑟𝑇
 &RQVLGHUOHIWKDOIKHPLVSKHUH
 2 forces acting- Force due to
 Excess of pressure 3 =𝜋𝑟 2 𝑃
 Surface tension 7 =2𝜋𝑟𝑇
 In equilibrium,
2𝑇
𝜋𝑟 2 𝑃=2𝜋𝑟𝑇 Excess of pressure, P=
𝑟
Excess of Pressure inside a Bubble
a. Air bubble formed inside a liquid

 For a small air bubble in liquid


 Liquid pressure is same throughout
 Only one liquid surface
 2 forces acting due to
 Surface tension =2𝜋𝑟𝑇
 Excess of pressure=𝜋𝑟 2 𝑃
 In equilibrium,
𝜋𝑟 2 𝑃=2𝜋𝑟𝑇

2𝑇
Excess of pressure, P=
𝑟
Excess of Pressure inside a Bubble
b. Bubble formed by Liquid in air

 2 liquid surfaces

 2 forces acting due to


 Excess of pressure=𝜋𝑟 2 𝑃 𝜋𝑟 2 𝑃

2 × 2𝜋𝑟𝑇
 Surface tension =2 × 2𝜋𝑟𝑇

 In equilibrium,
𝜋𝑟 2 𝑃=4𝜋𝑟𝑇

4𝑇
Excess of pressure, P=
𝑟
Effect of Electrostatic Pressure on a bubble
 Consider
A charged conducting surface – plane/ hollow/ solid sphere
 Charges on any surface is repelled by all the other charges
 This produce outward force on the surface

 Applying Gauss Law


 Electrostatic Pressure = Mechanical Force per unit area
𝜎2
=
2𝜀0 𝜀𝑟
𝜀0 - Permittivity of free space = 8.854 ×10-12 Farad/m 𝜎 – Surface charge density
𝜀𝑟 - Relative Permittivity of the medium 𝐶ℎ𝑎𝑟𝑔𝑒 𝑞
For bubble in air, 𝜀𝑟 =1 = = 2
𝐴𝑟𝑒𝑎 4𝜋𝑟
Effect of electrostatic pressure on a bubble-
change in radius
 The excess of pressure inside a soap bubble of radius r due to surface tension T is,
p = 4T/r
 If the bubble is now given a charge q, the surface density of charge is given by
𝑞
σ=
4𝜋𝑟 2
𝜎2
 The outward mechanical pressure experienced by the bubble =
2𝜀0
 Due to this pressure, the bubble expands and the excess of pressure inside
′ ′ 𝜎2
decreases to 𝑝 . 𝑝 =𝑝−
2𝜀0

 Let 𝑟 ′ be the new radius of the expanded bubble.


1
−3
4 𝜎2 4 ′ 3 𝑟′ 𝜎2 𝜎2
 𝑝 𝜋𝑟 3 = 𝑝− 𝜋𝑟 = 1− = 1+
3 2𝜀0 3 𝑟 2𝑝𝜀0 6𝑝𝜀0
𝝈𝟐 𝒓 𝒒𝟐
𝜟𝒓 = 𝒓′ −𝒓= =
𝟔𝒑𝜺𝟎 𝟗𝟔𝒑𝜺𝟎 𝝅𝟐 𝒓𝟑
Work done in blowing a bubble

 Bubble has 2 surfaces


 Change in surface area = 8𝜋𝑟 2

 Work done in blowing the bubble = Surface Energy × change in surface area

= Surface Tension × change in surface area

= T × 8𝜋𝑟 2 = 8𝜋𝑟 2 T
Formation of bigger drop by a number of
smaller drops
 Energy will be released because of decrease in surface area
 Volume of bigger drop= Volume of n small drops
4 4
 𝜋𝑅 3 = 𝑛 𝜋𝑟 3
3 3
1
 𝑅=𝑛 𝑟 3

2
 Area of bigger drop = 4𝜋𝑅2 = 4𝜋𝑛 𝑟 2 3

2 2
 Decrease in surface area = 𝑛4𝜋𝑟 2 − 4𝜋𝑛 3 𝑟2 = 4𝜋𝑟 2 𝑛−𝑛 3

 Energy released = surface tension X Decrease in surface area


𝟐
 = 𝟒𝑻𝝅𝒓𝟐 𝒏−𝒏 𝟑

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