Hill side school

Grade 11 Physics week 8 lesson unit 8 (properties bulk

matter)
Surface tension and surface energy
 Surface tension makes itself known when the surface of a liquid gives the appearance of being
covered by a stretched elastic skin, which pull-shall drops into a spherical shape.
 There are two ways to produce surface tension these are:-
1. Warm the water
2. Add detergent it
 Surface tension is a cohesive at the surface of the liquid due to the force between the liquids
atoms or molecules.
f F=
force
 Surface tension= ⟷ l f
length
l
 Surface energy is a measure of the disruption of intermolecular bonds caused by a surface.
Pressure difference across a surface film
There is an equation which can be used to calculate young-laplace equation.
1 1
Pressure difference = surface tension x
1 1
( +
R1 R2 )
∆ P=f ( +
R1 R 2 )
Here R1 and R2 are the radii of curvature of each of the axes that are parallel to the surface and
f is surface tension.
P is pressure

R1 R2 The radii of curvature

Class-work questions
1. Define briefly surface tension
2. Explain surface energy
3. Mention two ways to produce surface tension
4. Write young-laplace equation in terms of surface tension.
Homework questions
1. Define contact angle
2. Define capillary action and menisci and draw the diagram
3. Explain two pheromone of capillary action.
4. Calculate the height of a column of methal iodide in a soda-lime glass tube of radius
10mm. the surface tension is 0.32, the contact angle is 370 and the density is 2-3 kg/m3
Take g= 10m/s2
Sin 370= 0.6
Cos 370= 0.8
5. Use the angle of contact to account for the shapes of the surface of liquids.
6. State the relationship for capillary rise.
N.B:- refer your text book from page 170 -174
Set by :Habtimer Ayele