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Question
Explain why Water with detergent dissolved in it should have small angles of contact.
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Solution 1
We know that the clothes have narrow pores or spaces which act as capillaries. Also, we know that the rise of liquid in a capillary tube is directly proportional to cosθ (Here θ is the angle of contact). As θ is small for detergent, therefore cos θ will be large. Due to this, the detergent will penetrate more in the narrow pores of the clothes.
Solution 2
Water with detergent dissolved in it has small angles of contact (θ). This is because for a small θ, there is a fast capillary rise of the detergent in the cloth. The capillary rise of a liquid is directly proportional to the cosine of the angle of contact (θ). If θ is small, then cosθ will be large and the rise of the detergent water in the cloth will be fast.
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