The Concept of Surface Tension and its Application

Science is very broad and encompasses larger force of gravity produced by the Sun our ultimate source through all living things depend. One of the best things is knowing how certain forces occur and it affects living organisms. Surface tension is one of them that we still investigate why certain living organisms are able to walk on the surface of water without sinking. I would want us to delve into it in details:

Meaning of Surface Tension:

Surface is the property of water which makes the its surface behave as elastic skin enabling insects and other things to remain on its surface without sinking.There is the formation of a thin layer or "skin" on the surface of the water or the liquid like covering with some material that hold a body like insect. It arises due to the intermolecular forces between the molecules at the surface of the water or liquid. This is as a result of cohesive forces attracting the liquid molecules to one another, creating a net inward force at the surface. The cohesion force does binds the water molecules together as one. That makes the water to be like a thin covered skin on the water or liquid surface.

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The cohesion forces is different from the adhesion forces of attracting or binding different molecules together. Always when cohesion is formed, it makes the attraction stronger than that of adhesion force since the molecules formed come from the molecules of the same substance.

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The cohesive forces are the cause of for increasing the surface area of the water, causing the water to behave the way similar to that of an elastic skin of film. This concept explains the reason why small insects, like mosquitoes are able to walk on the surface of water without sinking. The surface tension acts like a flexible membrane that supports their weight.

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Additionally, surface tension plays a vital role in capillary action, where liquids can be drawn upward against gravity in narrow tubes or porous materials. This is due to the balance between cohesive forces within the liquid and adhesive forces between the liquid and the tube or porous material.

Surface tension can also lead to the formation of droplets and the unusual shape of liquid surfaces, such as the curved meniscus in a graduated cylinder or the spherical shape of raindrops.

The measurement of surface tension is usually expressed in units of force per unit length, such as dyn/cm or N/m. It varies with temperature, type of liquid, and the presence of impurities.

Understanding surface tension is important in many scientific and everyday contexts, including the behavior of liquids, the functioning of detergents, the functioning of lungs during breathing, and even the formation of bubbles and foams.

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The everyday application of Surface tension

1• Insects are able to walk on the surface of water without sinking due to surface tension.

2• Surface tension aids capillary actions by binding the molecules together to enable the liquid to climb up in the narrow tubes.

3• papers, razor blades and needle remain on the surface of water due to surface tension.

4• Surface tension causes water droplets to form bubble and spherical shapes.

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The effects of surface tension

The inter-molecular forces of surface tension can break if kerosene is poured on the surface of water. Changes in temperature can cause the breakage of surface tension.

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