Advertisements
Advertisements
Question
It is said that a liquid rises or is depressed in capillary due to the surface tension. If a liquid neither rises nor depresses in a capillary, can we conclude that the surface tension of the liquid is zero?
Advertisements
Solution
No, we cannot conclude the surface tension to be zero solely by the fact that the liquid neither rises nor falls in a capillary.
The height of the liquid inside a capillary tube is given by \[h = \frac{2T\cos\theta}{r\rho g}\] . From the equation, we see that the height (h) of the liquid may also be zero if the contact angle \[\theta\] between the liquid and the capillary tube is \[{90}^0 \text{ or } {270}^0\] .
APPEARS IN
RELATED QUESTIONS
A raindrop of diameter 4 mm is about to fall on the ground. Calculate the pressure inside the raindrop. [Surface tension of water T = 0.072 N/m, atmospheric pressure = 1.013 x 105 N/m2 ]
Explain why Surface tension of a liquid is independent of the area of the surface
Figure (a) shows a thin liquid film supporting a small weight = 4.5 × 10–2 N. What is the weight supported by a film of the same liquid at the same temperature in Fig. (b) and (c)? Explain your answer physically.

Mercury has an angle of contact equal to 140° with soda lime glass. A narrow tube of radius 1.00 mm made of this glass is dipped in a trough containing mercury. By what amount does the mercury dip down in the tube relative to the liquid surface outside? Surface tension of mercury at the temperature of the experiment is 0.465 N m–1. Density of mercury = 13.6 × 103 kg m–3
The free surface of a liquid resting in an inertial frame is horizontal. Does the normal to the free surface pass through the centre of the earth? Think separately if the liquid is (a) at the equator (b) at a pole (c) somewhere else.
If more air is pushed in a soap bubble, the pressure in it
The rise of a liquid in a capillary tube depends on
(a) the material
(b) the length
(c) the outer radius
(d) the inner radius of the tube
The lower end of a capillary tube is immersed in mercury. The level of mercury in the tube is found to be 2 cm below the outer level. If the same tube is immersed in water, up to what height will the water rise in the capillary?
A capillary tube of radius 0.50 mm is dipped vertically in a pot of water. Find the difference between the pressure of the water in the tube 5.0 cm below the surface and the atmospheric pressure. Surface tension of water = 0.075 N m−1.
A capillary tube of radius 1 mm is kept vertical with the lower end in water. (a) Find the height of water raised in the capillary. (b) If the length of the capillary tube is half the answer of part , find the angle θ made by the water surface in the capillary with the wall.
The surface tension of a liquid at critical temperature is ______
A u-tube is made up of capillaries of bore 1 mm and 2 mm respectively. The tube is held vertically and partially filled with a liquid of surface tension 49 dyne/cm and zero angles of contact. Calculate the density of the liquid, if the difference in the levels of the meniscus is 1.25 cm. take g = 980 cm/s2
Explain elasticity using intermolecular forces.
What are the factors affecting the surface tension of a liquid?
Obtain an expression for the excess of pressure inside a
- liquid drop
- liquid bubble
- air bubble
Water rises in a capillary tube of radius r upto a height h. The mass of water in a capillary is m. The mass of water that will rise in a capillary of radius `"r"/4` will be ______.
For a surface molecule ______.
- the net force on it is zero.
- there is a net downward force.
- the potential energy is less than that of a molecule inside.
- the potential energy is more than that of a molecule inside.
Two mercury droplets of radii 0.1 cm. and 0.2 cm. collapse into one single drop. What amount of energy is released? The surface tension of mercury T = 435.5 × 10–3 Nm–1.
We have three identical perfectly black plates. The temperatures of first and third plate is T and 3T. What is the temperature of second plate if system is in equilibrium?

The excess pressure inside a liquid drop is 500 Nm-2. If the radius of the drop is 2 mm, the surface tension of the liquid is x × 10-3 Nm-1. The value of x is ______.
