Surface Tension, s

 Due to the property of cohesion, liquids can resist small tensile forces at
the interface between the liquid and air, known as surface tension, .
 Surface tension is defined as force per unit length, and its unit is N/m.

F ( force)

L(length)
• How surface tension arises?
Interior molecule – balance each other due to symmetry
Surface molecule – not symmetry, force from gas molecule smaller than liquid
molecule.
Therefore, tend to pull molecule on surface toward the interior of the liquid.
Force is balance by repulsive force from bottom molecules.
 Water droplets from leaves
 Surface tension of water acts like a stretched elastic
membrane under tension.
2
 For interior of liquid cylinder, P
r
2
 A spherical droplet, P 
R
4
 The pressure difference between 2 surfaces of soap bubbles, P 
R
2R = pR2
Air is introduced through a nozzle into a tank of water to form a stream of bubbles. If
the bubbles are intended to have a diameter of 2 mm, calculate how much the
pressure of the air at the tip of the nozzle must exceed that of the surrounding
water. Assume that the value of surface tension between air and water as 72.7 x 10-
3 N/m.

Surface tension (s) = 72.7 x 10-3 @ 0.0722 N/m

Radius of bubble (r) = 1

Solution:
2
P 
R
2x(0.0722)
P 
1
= 145.4 kN/m2

That is, the pressure of the air at the tip of nozzle must exceed the pressure of
surrounding water by 145.4 N/m2.
 Capillarity
 Rise or fall of liquid in small diameter tube inserted into the liquid
 Capillarity is important when using tubes smaller than 10 mm (3/8
in.).
 For tube larger than 12 mm (1/2 in.) capillarity effects are
negligible.
 Cohesive forces: forces between molecules (water & water)
 Adhesive forces: forces between water & glass.
 cohesion forces > adhesion forces - water
 Figure 1.3 Capillary
actions

2 cos 
h
r
where h = height of capillary rise (or
depression)
 = surface tension
 = wetting (contact) angle
 = specific weight of liquid
r = radius of tube
A reservoir of oil has a mass of 825 kg. The reservoir has a
volume of 0.917 m3. Compute the density, specific weight, and
specific gravity of the oil.
Solution:

mass m 825
 oil     900kg / m3
volume  0.917
weight mg
 oil    g  900 x 9.81  8829 N / m 3
volume 
 oil 900
SGoil    0.9
 w @ 4C 1000
Water has a surface tension of 0.4 N/m. In a 3-mm diameter vertical
tube, if the liquid rises 6 mm above the liquid outside the tube,
calculate the wetting angle.
Solution
Capillary rise due to surface tension is given by;

2 cos 
h
r
rh 9810 x0.0015 x0.006
 cos   
2 2 x0.4

 = 83.7
This chapter has summarized on the aspect below:
 Understanding of what is fluid.
 Fluid mechanics can divided into 3 divisions.
 Fluids mechanics in our daily life.
 Significance of Fluid Mechanics is discovered.
 Newtonian and non-Newtonian fluid were identified.
 Fluid properties of density, specific weight, specific gravity,
viscosity and bulk modulus were outlined and taken up.
 Discussion on the vapour pressure of the liquid.
 Surface tension.
 Capillarity effect.