"Surface tension is the tendency of liquid surfaces at rest to shrink into the minimum surface area possible."
The force that acts on the surface of a liquid and tends to minimize the surface area of the liquid.
Definition of surface tension: Surface tension is the force acting on the surface of a liquid that tends to minimize the surface area.
Intermolecular forces: The interactions between molecules on the surface of a liquid.
Cohesion and adhesion: The forces that hold liquid molecules together (cohesion) and the forces that attract liquid molecules to other surfaces (adhesion).
Capillary action: The ability of a liquid to flow in narrow spaces due to intermolecular forces.
Interfacial tension: Surface tensions between two phases, such as the surface tension between a liquid and a gas.
Contact angle: The angle formed between a liquid and a solid surface.
Laplace's law: The law that describes the relationship between pressure, surface tension, and curvature.
Surfactants: Chemical compounds that reduce the surface tension of liquids.
Wetting: The ability of a liquid to spread evenly over a surface.
Spreading coefficient: A measure of the wettability of a liquid on a solid surface.
Critical micelle concentration: The concentration at which surfactants form micelles in solution.
Gibb's free energy: The energy associated with the interactions between the molecules of a system.
Ostwald ripening: The process by which small particles in a liquid solution dissolve and re-deposit on larger particles, leading to changes in surface area and surface tension.
Marangoni effect: The movement of liquid due to differences in surface tension.
Langmuir-Blodgett films: A type of thin film created by the deposition of molecular monolayers onto a solid substrate.
Electrowetting: The ability to manipulate the contact angle of a liquid on a solid surface using an electric field.
Bubble formation: The formation, growth, and collapse of bubbles due to the interplay between surface tension, pressure, and gas solubility.
Froth flotation: A technique used for separating particles in a liquid based on their surface properties.
Wetting agents: Chemical compounds that increase the spreadability of a liquid on a surface.
Dynamic surface tension: Surface tension that changes over time.
Solid Surface Tension: Solid surface tension occurs when a liquid is in contact with a solid surface. It is the force between the liquid and the solid that holds them together.
Liquid Surface Tension: Liquid surface tension is the force that holds the particles of a liquid together at the surface. It is responsible for the formation of droplets and acts as a barrier against external forces.
Gas Surface Tension: Gas surface tension does not exist in the same way as liquid and solid surface tension but can refer to the force that holds gas molecules together.
Interfacial Surface Tension: Interfacial surface tension is the force acting on the boundary between two different phases, such as a liquid and a gas or two immiscible liquids.
Dynamic Surface Tension: Dynamic surface tension refers to the change in surface tension due to the movement or flow of a liquid.
Capillary Action: Capillary action is the movement of a liquid in a narrow tube or porous material due to surface tension and adhesion.
Snap-off: Snap-off is a phenomenon that occurs when a liquid droplet detaches from a surface due to a sudden change in surface tension.
Contact Angle: The contact angle is the angle between the surface of a liquid and the surface it is in contact with. It is affected by surface tension and determines the adhesion properties of a liquid.
Cohesive Surface Tension: Cohesive surface tension is the force that holds the particles of a liquid together. It is responsible for the formation of drops and bubbles.
Disjoining Pressure: Disjoining pressure occurs when a thin liquid film between two surfaces experiences a change in surface tension that causes it to either thin or thicken.
Surfactants: Surfactants are substances that can reduce the surface tension of a liquid and increase its wetting properties. They are used in detergents, emulsifiers, and foaming agents.
"Surface tension is what allows objects with a higher density than water such as razor blades and insects (e.g. water striders) to float on a water surface without becoming even partly submerged."
"At liquid–air interfaces, surface tension results from the greater attraction of liquid molecules to each other (due to cohesion) than to the molecules in the air (due to adhesion)."
"One is an inward force on the surface molecules causing the liquid to contract. Second is a tangential force parallel to the surface of the liquid."
"The net effect is the liquid behaves as if its surface were covered with a stretched elastic membrane."
"But this analogy must not be taken too far as the tension in an elastic membrane is dependent on the amount of deformation of the membrane while surface tension is an inherent property of the liquid–air or liquid–vapor interface."
"Because of the relatively high attraction of water molecules to each other through a web of hydrogen bonds, water has a higher surface tension (72.8 millinewtons (mN) per meter at 20 °C) than most other liquids."
"Surface tension is an important factor in the phenomenon of capillarity."
"Surface tension has the dimension of force per unit length, or of energy per unit area."
"In materials science, surface tension is used for either surface stress or surface energy."
"Surface tension is what allows objects with a higher density than water to float on a water surface without becoming even partly submerged."
"One is an inward force on the surface molecules causing the liquid to contract."
"...surface tension results from the greater attraction of liquid molecules to each other (due to cohesion) than to the molecules in the air (due to adhesion)."
"But this analogy must not be taken too far as the tension in an elastic membrane is dependent on the amount of deformation of the membrane while surface tension is an inherent property of the liquid–air or liquid–vapor interface."
"When referring to energy per unit of area, it is common to use the term surface energy."
"Because of the relatively high attraction of water molecules to each other through a web of hydrogen bonds, water has a higher surface tension (72.8 millinewtons (mN) per meter at 20 °C) than most other liquids."
"Surface tension has the dimension of force per unit length, or of energy per unit area."
"In materials science, surface tension is used for either surface stress or surface energy."
"Surface tension is the tendency of liquid surfaces at rest to shrink into the minimum surface area possible."
"Surface tension is what allows objects with a higher density than water such as razor blades and insects (e.g. water striders) to float on a water surface without becoming even partly submerged."