EAH 221

July 20th

FLUID MECHANICS
for
CIVIL Engineers

Dr H Md Azamathulla
Lecturer,REDAC, USM
 Surface Tension
• A liquid, being unable to expand freely, will form an
interface with second liquid or GAS.

• Molecules deep with in the liquid repel each other

because of their close packing.

• Molecules at the surface are less dense and attract each

other

• Since half of their neighbors are missing, the mechanical

effect is that the surface is in tension

• We can account adequately for surface effects in fluid

mechanics with the concept of ‘surface tension’
 If a cut of length ‘dL’ is made in an interfacial
surface, equal and opposite forces of
magnitude σ dL are exposed normal to the
cut & parallel to the surface , where σ called
co-efficient of surface tension.

σ (F/L) N/m or Pound per feet

Alternative concept :- is to open up the cut to an Area

dA

This requires work to be done of amount σ dA

Thus the co-efficient ‘σ’ can also be regarded as the surface
energy per unit area of the interface, in N.m/m2 or ft . Lbf/ft2

Energy=force. distance
• The two most common interfaces are
water-Air and mercury –Air

• For clear surface at 20o C , the measured

surface tension is

• σ = 0.073 N/m Air –water

• σ = 0.48 N/m Air-mercury

Generally σ decreases with liquid temperature and is zero

at critical point
• If the interface is curved, a mechanical balance
shows that there is a pressure difference across
the interface, the pressure being higher on the
concave side Figure(a)

• The pressure increases in the interior of a liquid

cylinder is balanced by 2 surface tension forces.
• 2RLΔp=2(σL)
• Δp=σ/R
• Pressure changes across a curved interface due
to surface tension

Interior of a liquid cylinder

 Interior of spherical droplet
• Here we are not considering the weight of
the liquid in the calculation (Figure b)
• From figure the pressure increases in the
interior of a spherical droplet balances a
ring of ‘surface tension force’
• πR2Δp=2 πRσ

• Δp=2σ/R
• We can use this result to predict the
pressure increases inside a sop bubble,
which has two interfaces with air, an inner
and outer surface of nearly the same
radius ‘R’
• ΔP bubble=2 ΔP droplet=4σ/R
 Important effect is the contact
angle ‘θ’
• Contact angle effects at liquid –gas-solid
interface.
• θ <900 the liquid wets
• The solid , θ>900 the liquid is non-wetting
Ex:- water wets soap but does not wet wax.
Water is extremely wetting to clean glass surface, with θ=
00
Like σ , the contact angle ‘θ’ is sensitive to the actual
physicochemical conditions of the solid-liquid interface.
For clean mercury –air glass interface , θ=1300
How surface tension causes a fluid interface to rise or
fall in a capillary tube (Figure)

• Derivation for change in height ‘h’ in a circular tube

of a liquid with surface tension ‘σ’ and contact angle
‘θ’
• The vertical component of the ring surface –tension
force at the interface in the tube must balance the
weight of the column of height ‘h’
• Plz refer Y- is gamma here
• 2πR σ cosθ= γ(πR2h) spec. weight=W/V

• h=2 σ cosθ/ (gammaY) *R

• The capillary height increases inversely with tube
radius ‘R’ and is positive if ‘θ’<900 (wetting liquid)
and negative (capillary depression if ‘θ’>900
 Example:- R= 1 mm the capillary rise for a water-Air-
glass interface; θ=00, if θ=1300 ? h=???

• σ=0.073N/m and ρ=1000 Kg/m3

• h=2(0.073)cos00/1000*9.81*0.001
• =0.015 N.Sec2/Kg=0.015 m =15mm
Second case :Mercury –Air Glass interface ‘θ’=1300

σ=0.48 N/m. , ρ=13600Kg/m3

The capillary rise is h= -4.63 mm

When a smaller diameter tube is used to make pressure

measurements . The effect may be corrected.
 Vapor pressure
• Is the pressure at which a liquid boils and is in
equilibrium with its own vapor.

• Ca=(Pa-Pv)/(ρV2/g)

• Pa- ambient pressure

• Pv- vapor pressure
• V=Characteristic flow velocity
• ρ=fluid density