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Surface tension is defined as the energy required to increase the surface area of a liquid, or the force required to increase the length of a liquid surface by a given amount. This property results from the cohesive forces between molecules at the surface of a liquid, and it causes the surface of a liquid to behave like a stretched rubber membrane. Surface tensions of several liquids are presented in [link] . Among common liquids, water exhibits a distinctly high surface tension due to strong hydrogen bonding between its molecules. As a result of this high surface tension, the surface of water represents a relatively “tough skin” that can withstand considerable force without breaking. A steel needle carefully placed on water will float. Some insects, like the one shown in [link] , even though they are denser than water, move on its surface because they are supported by the surface tension.

Surface Tensions of Common Substances at 25 °C
Substance Formula Surface Tension (mN/m)
water H 2 O 71.99
mercury Hg 458.48
ethanol C 2 H 5 OH 21.97
octane C 8 H 18 21.14
ethylene glycol CH 2 (OH)CH 2 (OH) 47.99
A photo and a diagram as shown and a right-facing arrow leads from the photo to the image. The photo shows an insect standing on the surface of a sample of water. The image shows a square background that is two thirds covered in blue spheres that are closely packet together. A brown line starts at the upper left corner of the background and rests on top of the first row of spheres. The sphere directly under this low point of the line has four arrows drawn on it that face to both sides and downward. A sphere in the bottom center of the image has six arrows drawn on it that all face outward in different directions.
Surface tension (right) prevents this insect, a “water strider,” from sinking into the water.

The IMFs of attraction between two different molecules are called adhesive forces . Consider what happens when water comes into contact with some surface. If the adhesive forces between water molecules and the molecules of the surface are weak compared to the cohesive forces between the water molecules, the water does not “wet” the surface. For example, water does not wet waxed surfaces or many plastics such as polyethylene. Water forms drops on these surfaces because the cohesive forces within the drops are greater than the adhesive forces between the water and the plastic. Water spreads out on glass because the adhesive force between water and glass is greater than the cohesive forces within the water. When water is confined in a glass tube, its meniscus (surface) has a concave shape because the water wets the glass and creeps up the side of the tube. On the other hand, the cohesive forces between mercury atoms are much greater than the adhesive forces between mercury and glass. Mercury therefore does not wet glass, and it forms a convex meniscus when confined in a tube because the cohesive forces within the mercury tend to draw it into a drop ( [link] ).

This figure shows two test tubes. The test tube on the left contains mercury with a meniscus that rounds up. The test tube on the right contains water with a meniscus that rounds down.
Differences in the relative strengths of cohesive and adhesive forces result in different meniscus shapes for mercury (left) and water (right) in glass tubes. (credit: Mark Ott)

If you place one end of a paper towel in spilled wine, as shown in [link] , the liquid wicks up the paper towel. A similar process occurs in a cloth towel when you use it to dry off after a shower. These are examples of capillary action    —when a liquid flows within a porous material due to the attraction of the liquid molecules to the surface of the material and to other liquid molecules. The adhesive forces between the liquid and the porous material, combined with the cohesive forces within the liquid, may be strong enough to move the liquid upward against gravity.

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Source:  OpenStax, Ut austin - principles of chemistry. OpenStax CNX. Mar 31, 2016 Download for free at http://legacy.cnx.org/content/col11830/1.13
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