EXPERIMENT : 2

Aim To determine surface tension of water by rise in capillary tube.

Apparatus A capillary tube, a beaker (with water), a travelling microscope, a vertical

Required stand.

Theory A molecule well within a liquid is surrounded by other molecules on all

sides. The surrounding molecules attract the central molecule equally in all
directions, leading to a zero net force. In contrast, the resulting force acting
on a molecule at the boundary layer on the surface of the liquid is not zero,
but points into the liquid. This net attractive force causes the liquid surface
to contract toward the interior until the repulsive collisional forces from the
other molecules halt the contraction at the point when the surface area is a
minimum. If the liquid is not acted upon by external forces, a liquid sample
forms a sphere, which has the minimum surface area for a given volume.
Nearly spherical drops of water are a familiar sight, for example, when the
external forces are negligible.

Formula In general, surface tension of a liquid at a given temperature is given by

 ρ ~ density of the liquid

𝜌𝑔ℎ𝑟   ~ angle of contact
T=  g ~ acceleration due to gravity
2𝑐𝑜𝑠𝜽
 h ~ height of liquid column
 r ~ radius of capillary tube

For water  = 0, therefore cos 0 =1, So, for water

𝜌𝑔ℎ𝑟
T= dyne / cm or N / m
2
OBSERVATIONS

Determination of the radius of the capillary tube

Least count of the travelling microscope = _ _ _ _ cm

Sr. Reading along the direction Diameter ‘d’ Mean Diameter

No. One end of Other end of in cm Of the capillary
the bore the bore tube (cm)
1. 1
2. 2
3.
4.
5.

 Diameter of the capillary tube = _ _ _ _ cm

 Radius of the capillary tube = _ _ _ _ cm
 Room Temperature = ___  C
 Determination of ‘h’ and ‘T’

Level of Level of 𝜌𝑔ℎ𝑟

water in water in h=a~b T=
Sr. No. 2
capillary beaker cm
(a) cm ( b) cm (dynes/cm)
1
2
3
4

Mean T = ______ dyne / cm.

RESULT The surface tension of water at room temperature at ____ C is

T =……………… dyne/cm

PRECAUTIONS:  The capillary tube must be of uniform bore.

 The tube must be perfectly vertical
 The top of the tube must be open.
 The tube and the beaker should be clean.
 The temperature of water should be recorded