Surface Tension

• Liquid droplets behave like small balloons filled with the liquid on a solid
surface, and the surface of the liquid acts like a stretched elastic membrane
under tension.
• The pulling force that causes this tension acts parallel to the surface and is
due to the attractive forces between the molecules of the liquid.
• The magnitude of this force per unit length is called surface tension (or
coefficient of surface tension) and is usually expressed in the unit N/m.
• This effect is also called surface energy per unit area and is expressed in
the equivalent unit of N  m/m2.

Concept of Surface Tension

Surface of the liquid

Attractive forces between
the molecules on the surface
Air

A molecules
on the surface Liquid

A molecules
inside the liquid
 Concept of Surface Tension
External Force (e.g. a paper clip)

Surface of the liquid Attractive forces between

acts like an elastic membrane the molecules (Surface tension:
force per unit length, N/m)
Air

A molecules
on the surface Liquid

A molecules
inside the liquid

U-shaped wire frame

Rigid wire frame

 Surface tension, force per unit length

Surface of film
Sliding F = 2bσs
wire
σs = F/2b (N/m)
F

b
Δx  Surface energy per unit area
x
W = Force × Distance = FΔx
= 2bσs Δx = σs ΔA
F

Liquid film Wire σs = W/ΔA (Nꞏm/m2 = N/m)

 Surface Tension as a Physical Property

Surface Tension
Fluid
σs, (N/m)
Water
 The surface tension of a liquid
decreases with temperature
0 ̊C 0.076
20 ̊C 0.073  The effect of pressure on surface
tension is usually negligible
100 ̊C 0.059
300 ̊C 0.014
Mercury 0.440
Ethyl Alcohol 0.023
Blood, 37 ̊C 0.058
Gasoline 0.022
Soap solution 0.025
*At 1 atm and 20 ̊C unless otherwise stated

Floating Metals
A paper clip floating on the water surface

ΣF = 0

W = (σs L) cosθ + (σs L) cosθ

Vertical component Vertical component

F1cosθ of F1 of F2
F1 F2

W = 2 (σs L) cosθ

Free Body Diagram

 Ex. Prob. 5

Determine the maximum diameter (d) of a steel ball that

would float on water at 20 ̊C. (Assume the contact angle is 0̊
for the maximum diameter. The density of steel, ρsteel = 7,800
kg/m3)