Definition: Surface tension is defined as the tendency of liquid surfaces to shrink into the minimum surface area possible.
Formula of surface tension
- Surface tension is represented by the symbol σ (the Greek letter sigma).
- The formula is: σ = F/L
- Where F is the force parallel to the surface and L is the length of the surface.
- Surface tension has units of force per unit length, or J/m2 in SI units.
Examples of surface tension
- Water has a surface tension of 0.0728 N/m at 20°C.
- Mercury has a very high surface tension of 0.465 N/m at 20°C.
- Surfactants can lower water's surface tension to 0.03 N/m.
Units of surface tension
- In SI unit of surface tension is measured in Newtons per meter (N/m).
- Other units like ergs/cm2, dynes/cm, and mN/m are sometimes used. 1 dyn/cm = 0.001 N/m.
In summary, the formula relates force and length, examples show the range of values, units are force/length, and the definition relates to minimizing surface area of liquids. Knowing the formula, units, and magnitude of surface tension is important for physics calculations.
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