Does surface tension depend on the type of liquid and what do stronger intermolecular attractions cause liquids to have?
Surface tension, capillary action, and viscosity are unique properties of liquids that depend on the nature of intermolecular interactions. Surface tension is the energy required to increase the surface area of a liquid by a given amount and stronger the intermolecular interactions, the greater the surface tension. Surface Tension of a liquid depends upon Atmospheric pressure, the nature of liquid and its temperature. Different molecular interactions are responsible for differences in surface tension. Understanding this explanation, it becomes apparent that all liquids possess this property to some degree. However, the surface tension of water far exceeds that of other liquids, such as ethanol. Thus, Surface tension of a liquid depends upon the Temperature, Intermolecular forces, Pressure and Viscosity of that liquid. The cohesive forces between liquid molecules are responsible for the phenomenon known as surface tension. Each and every liquid has a different vapour pressure. This difference is due to the intermolecular forces such as London dispersion forces, hydrogen bonds, dipole-dipole forces and so on. If the intermolecular forces are strong, the vapor pressure will be low and vice versa. Substances with strong intermolecular forces will have a higher boiling point than substances with weaker intermolecular forces. Water molecules are held together by hydrogen bonds. Hydrogen bonds are a much stronger type of intermolecular force than those found in many other substances, and this affects the properties of water. Stronger intermolecular forces → molecules are more attracted to each other → they stick together better → they are harder to separate from each other. Strong IMF's lead to high boiling points, low vapor pressures, and high heats of vaporization. The surface tension of a liquid is a measure of the elastic force in the liquid's surface. Liquids with strong intermolecular forces have higher surface tensions than liquids with weaker forces. The surface tension of a liquid results from an imbalance of intermolecular attractive forces, the cohesive forces between molecules: A molecule in the bulk liquid experiences cohesive forces with other molecules in all directions. A molecule at the surface of a liquid experiences only net inward cohesive forces.
- Badges
- Science topic