SURFACE TENSION

Student Name : Yousif Firas Taha

Stage : Second Stage -B-

Supervise by: Ammar
Albaaj
Report Date : 26/11/2022

Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research

Basra University of Oil & Gas
Department Of Chemical and Petroleum Refining Engineering

[1]
 Interface 1

Index 2

Introduction 3

Examples of Surface Tension 3

Theory 4

Purpose 4

Equipment 5

Experimental procedure 6-7

Debate 8

References 9

[2]
Introduction :
Surface tension is the elastic tendency of a fluid surface which makes it
acquire the least surface area possible. Surface tension allows insects (e.g.
water striders), usually denser than water, to float and stride on a water
surface. • At liquid–air interfaces, surface tension results from the greater
attraction of liquid molecules to each other (due to cohesion) than to the
molecules in the air (due to adhesion).

Examples of Surface Tension

Walking on water: Floating a needle: A Surface Tension and

Small insects such as carefully placed small Droplets: Surface
the water strider can needle can be made to float tension is responsible
walk on water because on the surface of water for the shape of liquid
their weight is not even though it is several droplets. Although
enough to penetrate the times as dense as water. If easily deformed,
surface. the surface is agitated to droplets of water tend
break up the surface to be pulled into a
tension, then needle spherical shape by the
will quickly sink cohesive forces of
surface layer.
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Theory :
Surface tension has been well- explained by the introduction and

examples of Surface Tension. According to this theory, cohesive forces

among liquid molecules are responsible for the phenomenon of

surface tension. The molecules well inside the liquid are attracted

equally in all directions by the other molecules. The molecules on the

surface experience an inward pull.

Purpose :
1. To measure the surface tension of pure liquids: methanol
2. To measure the surface tension of water – acids solutions and compare them with
water surface tension.
3. To measure the surface tension of water solution of highly effective surfactant
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sodium salt of oleic acid.
4. To measure the surface tension of water solution of high concentration of sodium
chloride.

The determination of the surface tension by the drop-weight method

Equipment
1- Stalagmometer.
2- Beaker.
3- tubing with a balloon.
4- weighing bottle with a lid.
5- laboratory scale with the precision of the thousands of gram.
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6- distilled water, liquids with the unknown surface tension.

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Experimental procedure :
1. Mount the clean and dry stalagmometer on the vertical stand.
2. Weigh the mass of the empty weighing bottle (m0).
3. Fill the beaker with distilled water. Mount the tubing with balloon on the top
end of stalagmometer. Immerse the bottom end of stalagmometer into water
and fill it up, such that the water level is above the wide part of stalagmometer.
4. Remove the balloon and collect 20 water drops into the weighing bottle. 5.
Weigh the mass of the weighing bottle with the drops (m0 + mwater = mtotal )
and from this equation determine the mass of 20 drops (mwater). 6. Empty the
weighing bottle and stalagmometer, dry them and prepare for the next
measurement.
7. Repeat steps 2-6 for the other liquids with unknown surface tension. Total
mass is equal (m0 + mLiquid = mtotal ). Determine mass of the drops mLiquid.
8. Write the results of the measurements into the Table 2.
9. Measure the laboratory temperature, find the corresponding water surface
tension from the Table 1 and calculate the surface tensions of studied liquids ()
according to the equation (6).

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Table 1 Water surface tension ( ) and density ( ) as function of the temperature

[8]
Debate :
How is this insect able to stand on water?
The next time you are by a still body of water, take a close look at the creatures
scooting along on the surface. You may see insects seemingly floating on top of

[9]
the water. These creatures are known by a variety of names including water
skaters, water striders, and pond skaters. They take advantage of a property
called surface tension to stay above the water and not sink. The force they exert
downward is less than the forces exerted among the water molecules on the
surface of the pond, so the insect does not penetrate the surface of the water.
What is the Unit of Surface Tension?
The SI unit of Surface Tension is Newton per Meter or N/m. Check other units
in the table provided below.
SI Unit or N/m or CGS Unit or dyn/cm

What is Surface Tension?

According to the definition of surface tension, it is the phenomenon that occurs
when the surface of a liquid is in contact with another phase (it can be a liquid
as well). Liquids tend to acquire the least surface area possible. The surface of
the liquid behaves like an elastic sheet.

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 References :
PRACTICAL PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY (Book)

https://www.fpharm.uniba.sk/fileadmin/faf/Pracoviska-subory/KFCHL/
ENG/lectures/Physics/AP11__Surface_tension.pdf

Physical Pharmacy (Report)

An Introduction to Surface Tension ( Book )

Surface Tension of Pure Liquids and Binary Liquid Mixtures : Supplement to

Volume IV/24

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