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Experiment 1: Surface Tension

Key Concepts: Surface Tension, Capillary Rise

I. INTRODUCTION

Surface tension is the phenomenon caused by the attraction of particles in the surface layer
of a liquid. Because the molecules at the surface of the liquid are not directly in contact with
like molecules on all sides, they cohere more strongly to the molecules directly associated
with them on the surface. This attraction forms a surface “film” which makes the
transferring of objects through the surface more difficult than submersed movement of the
same objects through the fluid itself. The cohesion between the molecules on the surface of
a fluid can also be seen between the molecules of the fluid and a solid surface, such as glass
or soil. This attraction between the surface molecules and solid surface creates a net
upward force, causing a rise in the level of the fluid above the level of zero pressure. This
phenomenon is often referred to as capillary rise.

This important fluid property, surface tension, 𝜎,

of a fluid may be determined by measuring the
level of capillary rise a fluid exhibits on a solid
surface. Consider the situation depicted in Figure
1.1 (right). For capillary tubes of sufficiently small
diameter, one observes a substantial rise in the
level of the fluid because of the force exerted on
the fluid due to surface tension. The fluid stops
rising when the force exerted on the fluid via
surface tension is equal to the force of gravity on
the volume of fluid within the capillary tube.
Surface tension is measured as a force per length
over which the fluid is in contact with a surface.
For a tube as depicted in Figure 1.1, this length is
the circumference of the inside of the tube.
Balancing the forces due to gravity and surface Figure 1.1 Capillary rise due to surface tension
tension yields the following:

𝜎 2𝜋𝑟 = 𝜌𝑔 ∗ ℎ(𝜋𝑟 + )

where r is the radius of the capillary tube, 𝜌 is the density of the fluid, g is the acceleration
due to gravity, h is the capillary rise, and 𝜎 is the surface tension of the fluid. Rearranging
the equation above yields a simple expression for surface tension:

1
𝜎 = 𝜌𝑔𝑟ℎ
2
In examining the boundary of the fluid in contact with the capillary tube, the surface of the
fluid in the tube is not perfectly flat, curving up at the ends and forming a meniscus. This
small amount of fluid also contributes to the force due to gravity, and a more accurate
expression for surface tension taking this portion of the fluid into account is of the form:

1 𝑟
𝜎 = 𝜌𝑔𝑟(ℎ + )
2 3

In this experiment, after measuring the capillary rise for different fluids, the surface tension
of each fluid will be determined using equations defined above. In the study, it is assumed
that the angle between the fluid and surface is zero, however, this is not the case in
practice. In general, this angle is very small and can be neglected.

II. OBJECTIVE

The objective of the experiment is to determine the surface tension of various fluids at
room temperature by applying the fundamentals of equilibrium to the observed
phenomenon of capillary rise.

III. DATA TO BE COLLECTED

The data to be collected include:

• Mass and volume of each liquid (for density calculations)

• Capillary rise for each liquid

IV. ANTICIPATED RESULTS

At a minimum, you should be able to anticipate:

1) What are the relative specific weights of water, glycerin and oil?
2) What are the relative surface tensions of water, glycerin and oil?

V. APPARATUS
1. Three liquids contained in transparent receptacles.
2. Capillary tubes.

3. Measuring device and stand.

VI. PROCEDURE
1. Determine the density of each of the liquids by weighing known volumes.
2. Measure the inner diameter of the capillary tubes.
3. Place a capillary tube into each liquid, ensuring that the bottom of the tube is above
the bottom of the liquids receptacle.
4. Measure the capillary rise of the liquid in each of the capillary tubes.

VII. RESULTS
1. Compute the density of each liquid.
2. Compute the surface tension of each liquid.