Ministry of higher education & scientific research

Misan University

Engineering college

Petroleum department

Surface Tension and Capillarity

BY
Mohammad makky saadoun
Supervised by: Radhwan Ali

WHAT IS SURFACE TENSION?

Surface tension is a property of liquids that arises from unbalanced
molecular cohesive forces at or near a surface. At an air water
interface the surface tension results from the greater attraction of
water molecules to each other (due to cohesion) than to the
molecules in the air (due to adhesion). The net effect is an inward
force at its surface that causes water to behave as if its surface were
covered with a stretched elastic membrane. Because of the relatively
high attraction of water molecules for each other, water has a high
surface tension.

Surface tension arises from the strong interactions between water

molecules, called hydrogen bonding. It is this strong interaction which
also manifests in the other unusual property of water such as its high
boiling point.

Surface tension of water also manifests as the so-called hydrophobic

effect. Hydrophobic molecules tend to be non-polar and, thus, prefer
other neutral molecules and non-polar solvents--"water- hating". A
hydrophilic molecule or portion of a molecule is one that has a
tendency to interact with or be dissolved by water and other polar
substances --"water-loving" -- See also: How does soap work?
The cohesive forces between
molecules in a liquid are shared
with all neighboring molecules.
Those on the surface have no
neighboring molecules above
and, thus, exhibit stronger
attractive forces upon their
nearest neighbors on and below
the surface.

For molecules in center of water,

all attractive forces are balanced.

On the surface, molecules have

unbalanced surface ... fluid tries
to minimize it's surface area. This
is why water forms a drop. the
surf race tries to minimize area

and inside liquid is under

pressure.
THE MENISCUS IS THE CURVE IN
THE UPPER SURFACE OF A LIQUID
CLOSE TO THE SURFACE OF THE
CONTAINER OR ANOTHER
OBJECT. IT IS CAUSED BY
SURFACE TENSION. IT CAN BE
EITHER CONVEX OR CONCAVE,
DEPENDING ON THE LIQUID AND
THE SURFACE.
A SHOWN ON LEFT -- A CONCAVE
MENISCUS OCCURS WHEN THE
PARTICLES OF THE LIQUID ARE
MORE STRONGLY ATTRACTED TO
THE CONTAINER THAN TO EACH
OTHER, CAUSING THE LIQUID TO
CLIMB THE WALLS OF THE
CONTAINER. THIS OCCURS
BETWEEN WATER AND GLASS.
B SHOWN ON RIGHT -- A CONVEX
MENISCUS OCCURS WHEN THE
PARTICLES IN THE LIQUID HAVE A
STRONGER ATTRACTION TO
EACH OTHER THAN TO THE
MATERIAL OF THE CONTAINER.
CONVEX MENISCI OCCUR, FOR
EXAMPLE, BETWEEN MERCURY
AND GLASS IN BAROMETERS.
NOTE: COHESIVE ATTRACTION
OR COHESIVE FORCE IS THE
ACTION OR PROPERTY OF
SIMILAR MOLECULES STICKING
TOGETHER, BEING MUTUALLY
ATTRACTIVE. COHESION, ALONG
WITH ADHESION (ATTRACTION
BETWEEN UNLIKE MOLECULES),
HELPS EXPLAIN PHENOMENA
SUCH AS MENISCUS, SURFACE
TENSION AND CAPILLARY
ACTION.
Examples of surface tension in action include the following:

--formation of liquid droplets,

--the ability of a needle to float on water,

--why bubbles are round

--soap being used the break up water tension.

Surface tension has the dimension of force per unit length, or of

energy per unit area. The two are equivalent—but when referring to
energy per unit of area, people use the term surface energy—which is
a more general term in the sense that it applies also to solids and not
just liquids.

Surface tension, usually represented by the symbol γ, is measured in

force per unit length. Its SI unit is newton per meter.

In terms of energy: surface tension --gamma-- of a liquid is the ratio of

the change in the energy of the liquid to the change in the surface
area of the liquid (that led to the change in energy).

WHAT IS CAPILLARY ACTION?

TRY THIS: FILL A GLASS WITH DILUTED GRAPE JUICE AS SHOWN BELOW. FOLD A PAPER TOWEL TO CONNECT THE
TWO GLASSES...OBSERVE WHAT HAPPENS OVER SEVERAL HOURS...
AFTER 20 MINUTES -- WATER IS AFTER 2 HOURS -- MOSTLY AFTER 4 HOURS -- SOME
MOVING UP THE PAPER TOWEL WATER HAS MOVED INTO THE PIGMENT HAS MOVING
SECOND GLASS

CAPILLARY ACTION OCCURS BECAUSE WATER MOLECULES BOND

EACH OTHER STRONGLY DUE TO FORCES OF COHESION AND
ADHESION WHERE WATER MOLECULES ARE ATTRACTED AND STICK
TO OTHER SUBSTANCES SUCH AS GLASS OR PAPER. ADHESION OF
WATER TO THE SURFACE OF A MATERIAL WILL CAUSE AN UPWARD
FORCE ON THE LIQUID. THE SURFACE TENSION ACTS TO HOLD THE
SURFACE INTACT. CAPILLARY ACTION OCCURS WHEN THE ADHESION
TO THE SURFACE MATERIAL IS STRONGER THAN THE COHESIVE
FORCES BETWEEN THE WATER MOLECULES. THE HEIGHT TO WHICH
CAPILLARY ACTION WILL TAKE WATER IS LIMITED BY SURFACE
TENSION AND GRAVITY.

NOTICE IN THE PHOTOS ABOVE THE EFFECT THAT GRAVITY HAS ON

CAPILLARY ACTION. WATER BEING A POLAR MOLECULE AND LOW
MASS MOVES EASILY UP THE PAPER. THE DILUTED GRAPE JUICE
CONTAINS SEVERAL NON-POLAR RED PIGMENTS WHICH ARE NOT
VERY SOLUBLE IN WATER AND DO NOT MIGRATE WITH THE SOLVENT.
IF ONE TAKES A SMALL CAPILLARY TUBE AN INSERTS IT IN WATER
AND THE TUBE DOES NOT HAVE A VACUUM LIKE A BAROMETER BUT
IS OPEN AT TOP, WATER WILL START TO RISE UP. WATER WANTS TO
STICK TO THE GLASS AND SURFACE TENSION WILL PUSH THE WATER
UP, UNTIL THE FORCE OF GRAVITY PREVENTS FURTHER RISE

==========================================================

Capillarity is the result of cohesion of water molecules and adhesion

of those molecules to a solid material. In the case of a glass tube
inserted in water with openings at both ends, as the edges of the tube
are brought closer together, such as in a very narrow tube, the liquid
will be drawn upward in the tube. The more narrow the tube, the
greater the rise of the liquid. Greater surface tension and increased
ratio of adhesion to cohesion also result in greater rise.

Surface tension:
is important in daily life and many engineering applications. Surface
tension plays a major role in many applications such as washing and
cleaning procedures, in lubricants such as those used in automobiles
and cosmetics, and the formation of rain drops. It is even the
phenomenon that allows the water-strider to walk on water. This
introductory review presents some of the basic concepts associated
with surface tension and capillarity. First, we consider the mechanical
and thermodynamic definition of surface tension. This is followed by
capillarity, contact angle, governing interface equations, relevant
nondimensional numbers with surface tension effects, capillarity rise,
temperature and surfactant effects of surface tension, and dynamic
contact angles. Techniques for measuring surface tension and contact
angle then follow. Controlling the wettability of a surface is then
presented in order to create surfaces with superhydrophobic
properties.

Capillary action (sometimes capillarity, capillary motion, capillary effect,

or wicking) is the ability of a liquid to flow in narrow spaces without the
assistance of, or even in opposition to, external forces like gravity. The
effect can be seen in the drawing up of liquids between the hairs of a
paint-brush, in a thin tube, in porous materials such as paper and
plaster, in some non-porous materials such as sand and liquefied
carbon fiber, or in a biological cell. It occurs because of intermolecular
forces between the liquid and surrounding solid surfaces. If the
diameter of the tube is sufficiently small, then the combination of
surface tension (which is caused by cohesion within the liquid) and
adhesive forces between the liquid and container wall act to propel the
liquid.

Key Difference – Surface Tension vs Capillary Action

Surface tension and capillary action are physical properties of liquid
substances. They are macroscopic properties of liquids. The key
difference between surface tension and capillary action is that,
surface tension is measured as the force applied on a certain length of
the liquid given by the unit N/m (Newton per meter) whereas
capillary action is measured as the height of liquid column that is
drawn upward, against the gravity given by the unit m (meter).