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170 Experiment 3
170 Experiment 3
1School of Chemical Engineering and Chemistry, B.S. Chemical Engineering, Mapua Institute of Technology
ABSTRACT
The objectives of this experiment are to measure the surface tension of a pure liquid and of an aqueous
solution, to determine the effect of bulk solute concentration on the surface tension of aqueous solution,
and to evaluate graphically the parameter of the Gibbs isotherm. The surface tension is defined by the
work per unit area which is necessary to break or change the shape. In the experiment, a tensiometer was
used to determine the surface tension of pure water and n-butanol of different concentrations. It has been
found out that the surface tensions are in general different from those of pure solvents. Also, it has been
found out that addition of solutes weakens the surface tension of pure substances like water due to the
presence of –OH that deviates the hydrogen bonding of pure substances. Generally, we can say that
surface tension is affected by the disruption intermolecular forces present in substances. The test
showed good result because the value of R2 for the graph of the surface tension versus the natural
logarithm of concentration is 0.9738.
INTRODUCTION
Molecules on the surface of a liquid are attracted only area which in turn results in the lowest possible free energy
toward the interior; these attractions pull the surface layer at a given temperature and pressure. To prevent
toward the center. The most stable situation is one in which contraction work must be exerted which increases the
the surface are if the liquid is minimal. In terms of geometry, surface area of the liquid by bringing molecules above on
it is mostly achieved by a liquid which assumes a spherical the surface. This work as the surface free energy.
shape. Surface tension is a measure of the inward forces
that must be overcome to expand the surface area of liquid Quantitatively, surface tension is defined as the force in the
[1]. surface place per unit length [2]. The ring provides such
parameter for determining the “per length” factor, and the
Surface tension occurs due to the intermolecular forces of equipment for detecting the force exerted. The term
attraction within the liquid. At the part of the liquid, the water interfacial tension is defined as the force equivalent to the
molecules would be surrounded by strong intermolecular surface of the boundary [3]. The surface tension is related
forces around it dominated by hydrogen bonds. These to the concentration of the solute at a given temperature as
forces would be symmetrical so that the net force would be correlated from Gibbs Isotherm equation:
zero. On the other hand, a water molecule at the surface of
a liquid would experience otherwise that is the forces
affecting it is no longer symmetrical. Such molecule will be
attracted inwards since the number of molecule in interacts
with in a given volume is greater in the liquid below than in Where γ is the surface tension in dynes/cm, C is the bulk
the gases above. The surface of a liquid will have the concentration in moles/ cubic meter and u is the surface
tendency to contract as a result of such inward pull. The concentration in moles/ square meter. This equation will be
liquid then contracts to give itself lesser available surface used later to obtain a graphical representation of the Gibbs
RESULTS and DISCUSSIONS Water has the highest value for its surface tension of all
commonly liquids. Addition of small quantities of impurities
The surface tension of water and n-butanol-water solution will alter the surface tension. In general, organic impurities
was determined. are found to lower the surface tension of water significantly.
Table 1 (Surface Tension of Pure Water) N-butanol is a primary alcohol. The hydrophobicity of the n-
Temperature 32°C
butanol causes the significant reduction in surface tension
Measured Surface Tension of Water of water. The reason for the large effect on surface tension
Trial 1 77.8 dynes/cm is that the water molecules have a greater attraction to each
Trial 2 79.2 dynes/cm other than to n-butanol, consequently the butanol is
Trial 3 80.2 dynes/cm concentrated at the water/air interface, rather than in the
Surface Tension (Mean) 79.07 dynes/cm bulk of the water [4].
Surface Tension (Literature 70.85 dynes/cm
Value) Also, alcohols disrupt the hydrogen bonding force and
Difference (lit-mean) -8.22 dynes/cm reduced the intermolecular forces of the water. Thus, the
surface tension of the water decreases as the amount of n-
The mean surface tension of pure water at 32°C is slightly butanol present in the solution increases [5].
greater than the literature surface tension value with the
difference of -8.22 dynes/cm. The difference between the Table 3 (Data Points for the Gibbs Isotherm Correlation)
literature surface tension value and the mean surface Concentration, Natural logarithm Corrected
tension of a pure water was used to calculate for the mol/cm3 of concentration Surface Tension,
corrected surface tension of any solution that has water dynes,cm
concentration on it. For this case, the corrected surface 0.0000 - 70.28
tension of the n-butanol solution at different concentrations 0.0001 -9.21034 67.43
were calculated by adding the difference to the measured 0.0002 -8.51719 57.18
surface tension of the n-butanol. 0.0003 -8.11173 49.43
0.0004 -7.82405 44.73
Table 2 (Surface Tension of n-butanol Solution at Different 0.0005 -7.6009 41.78
Concentrations)
0.0006 -7.41858 37.53
Concentration, Surface Tensions, dynes/cm
0.0007 -7.26443 34.58
mole/ liter Measured Corrected
0.0008 -7.1309 31.78
Trial 1 Trial 2 Average
0.00 77.8 79.2 78.2 70.28
Table 3 shows the data needed to correlate the
0.10 75.7 75.6 75.65 67.43
concentration of the solute with the surface tension. The
0.20 65.3 65.5 65.4 57.18
concentrations were converted to mol/cm3.
0.30 57.6 57.7 57.65 49.43
0.40 52.9 53 52.95 44.73 Figure 3. (Gibbs Isotherm Correlation)
0.50 49.8 50.2 50 41.78
0.60 45.8 45.7 45.75 37.53
0.70 43.2 42.4 42.8 34.58
0.80 40 40 40 31.78
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