6.

SURFACE TENSION
1. Calculate the force required to take away = 6 4 106
a flat circular plate of radius 0.01 m from = 24 106 J
the surface of water. The surface tension
Work done = 2.4 105 J
of water. is 0.075 N/m.
Given :
3. A capillary tube of radius 0.5 mm is
r = 0.01m
dipped vertically in a liquid of surface
T = 0.075 N/m
tension 0.04 N/m and relative density
To Find :
0.8 gm/cc. Calculate the height of
F = ?
capillary rise, if the angle of contact is
Formula :
100. [g = 9.8 m/s2]
F = Tl
Given :
Solution :
. . r = 0.5mm
. The plate is flat
= 0.5 103 m = 5 104 m
Force due to surface tension acts on only
T = 0.04 N/m
one face
= 0.8 gm/cc
l = 2r
F = Tl 0.8 10 3
F = 0.075 (2 3.142 0.01) = = 800 kg/m3
106
F = 0.150 3.142
= 100
F = 0.004717 N
g = 9.8 m/s2
2. There is a soap film on a rectangular To Find :
frame of wire of area 4 cm 4 cm. If the h = ?
area of the frame is increased to Formula :
4 cm 5 cm, find the work done in the rhg
process. [Surface tension of soap film = T =
2 cos
3 102 N/m]
Solution :
Given :
A1 = 4 4 cm2 = 16 cm2 rhg
T =
A1 = 16 104 m2 2 cos
A2 = 4 5 cm2 = 20 cm2
2T cos
A2 = 20 104 m2 h =
T = 3 102 N/m r g
To Find :
W = ? 2 0.04 cos 100
h =
Formula : 5 10 4 800 9.8
W = TA
2 0.04 0.9848
Solution : h =
A soap film has two surfaces 5 800 9.8 104
W = 2TA h = 2.01 102 m
= 2T (A2 A1) h 2 cm
= 2T (20 104 16 104)
= 2 3 102 4 104

Surface Tension
 .. 32 MAHESH TUTORIALS SCIENCE

4. A mercury drop of radius 0.5 cm falls Also,

from a height on a glass plate and breaks W = T A
up into a million droplets, all of the = T (n4r2 4R2)
same size. Find the height from which W = 4T (nr2 R2)
the drop must have fallen. [Density of eq., (i) becomes,
mercury = 13600 kg/m3, Surface tension mgh = 4T (nr2 R2)
of water = 0.465 N/m] 4
Given : But, m = R3
3
R = 0.5cm = 0.5 102m
n = No. of drops formed 4
= 106 R3gh = 4T (nr2 R2)
3
= 13600 kg/m3,
T = 0.465 N/m R 3 gh
= T (nr2 R2)
To Find : 3
h = ?
Formula : (
3T nr 2 R 2 )
i) W = TA h = 3
ii) P.E = mgh R g
Solution :
6 2

Volume of single big drop V =

4 3
R 10 0.5 10
3 0.465
(
4
)
3 2
(
0.5 102 )
4 3
Volume of single small droplet = r = 3
3 ( 0.5 102 ) 13600 9.8
4 3
Volume of n droplets = n r
3 0.25 102
4 3 4 3 3 0.465
( )
R r

3
= n
3 (
0.25 104 )
R3 = nr 3 h =
0.125 10 6 1.36 10 4 9.8
R
r = 3 3 0.465 0.25 102 10 4
n
=
2 0.125 0.0136 9.8
0.5 10
= 3
106 3 0.465 0.25 10 2 1 10 2
=
0.125 0.0136 9.8
0.5 102
=
102 3 0.465 0.25 ( 1 0.01 )
=
r = 0.5 104 m 0.125 1.36 9.8
The single drop is fallen from height h, 3 0.465 25 0.99
hence its P.E. = mgh =
12.5 1.36 9.8
But, P.E = Work done due to change in
area ...(i) h = 0.2072 m
Change in surface area A = (n4r 4R2)
2

Surface Tension
MAHESH TUTORIALS SCIENCE .. 33

5. The surface tension of water at 00 C is Total work done in coalescing of drops

70 dyne/cm. Find surface tension of = change in surface energy.
water at 250 C. [ for water = 0.0027/ 0C] E = T 4 (nr2 R2)
Given : = T 4 [8 (2 104)2
T0 = 70dyne/cm (4 104)2]
t1 = 00C, = 0.072 4 3.14 [8 4 108
t2 = 250C 16 108]
= 0.0027/0C
= 0.072 4 3.14 16 108
To Find :
E = 1.446 107 J
T = ?
Formula : 7.A horizontal circular loop of wire of
T = T0 (1 t) radius 0.02 m is lowered into a cruid oil
= T0 [1 (t2 t1)] and forms a film. The force due to
Solution : surface tension of the liquid is
T = T0 [1 (t2 t1)] 0.0113 N. Calculate the surface tension
T = 70 [1 0.0027 (25 0)] of the crude oil.
= 70 [1 0.0027 25] Given :
= 70 0.9325 r = 0.02m
T = 65.275 dyne/cm F = 0.0113 N
To Find :
6. Eight droplets of water, each of radius T = ?
0.2 mm, coalesce into a single drop. Find Formula :
the change in total surface energy. F = Tl
[Surface tension = 0.072 N/m] Solution :
Given : l = 2 2 r
n = 8 Now,
T = 0.072 N/m F = Tl
r = 0.2 mm F = 4rT
= 0.2 103 m
F
= 2 104 m T =
R = radius of coalesce drop 4 r
To Find : 0.0113
E = ? T =
4 3.142 0.02
Formula :
T = 0.04495 N/m
E = T A
Solution :
8. The tube of a mercury barometer is 1 cm
Volume of 8 drops of radius r is equal
diameter. What correction due to
to volume of single drop of radius R
capillarity with effect of meniscus is to
4 3 4 3 be applied to barometer reading if
r n = R
3 3 surface tension of mercury is 435.5 dyne/
nr3 = R3 cm and angle of contact of mercury with
glass is 1400.
R = r. 3 n
[density of mercury = 13600 kg/m3]
= r. 3 8 = 2r Given :
R = 2 2 10 m4 T = 435.5 dyne/cm
R = 4 104 m = 0.4355 N/m,
= 1400
Surface Tension
 .. 34 MAHESH TUTORIALS SCIENCE

= 13600 kg/m3 = 0.5 mm = 0.05 cm

d = 1 cm d2 = 1.1 mm
r = 0.5 cm = 5 103 m d2
To Find : r2 =
2
h = ?
Formula : 1.1
=
rhg 2
T = = 0.55 mm = 0.55 cm
2 cos
T = 75 dyne/cm
Solution :
To Find :
rhg F = ?
T =
2 cos Formula :
F = Tl
2T cos
h = Solution :
rg l = 2 (r1 + r2)
F = Tl = T 2 (r1 + r2)
2 0.4355 cos 1400 F = 2T (r1 + r2)
h =
5 103 13600 9.8 = 2 3.142 75 (0.05 + 0.055)
= 2 3.142 75 0.105

=
(
0.8710 cos 900 + 500 ) F = 150 3.142 0.105
5 13.6 9.8 F = 49.49 dynes

=
(
0.8710 sin 500 ) 10. The total energy of the free surface of a
liquid drop is 2 times the surface
5 13.6 9.8 tension of the liquid. What is the
0.8710 0.7660 diameter of the drop ? [Assume all terms
= in SI units]
68.0 9.8
Given :
= 1.001 103 m
E = 2T
h = 1.001 mm
To Find :
Negative sign indicates that mercury level
diameter of drop, d = ?
will be lowered by 1.001 mm. Hence to
Formula :
get correct reading h = 1.001 mm has to
E = T A
added.
Solution :
h = 1.001 mm
A = 4r2
E = T A
9. A glass tube has inner diameter 1 mm E = 4r2T
and outer diameter 1.1 mm. When it is 2T = 4r2T [... E = 2T]
kept vertical and partially dipped in 2r 2
= 1
water, calculate the downward pull due
to surface tension. [Surface tension of 1
r2 =
water = 75 dyne/cm] 2
Given : 1
d1 = 1mm r =
2
d1 1 d = 2r
r1 = =
2 2
Surface Tension
MAHESH TUTORIALS SCIENCE .. 35

1 12. What should be the diameter of a soap

= 2 = 2 bubble, in order that the excess pressure
2 inside it is 51.2 N/m2 ?
d = 1.414 m (S.T. of soap solution = 3.2 102 N/m)
Given :
11. Calculate the density of paraffin oil, if P = 51.2 N/m2
a glass capillary of diameter 0.25 mm T = 3.2 102 N/m
dipped in paraffin oil of the surface To Find :
tension 0.0245 N/m rises to a height of d = ?
4 cm. [Angle of contact of paraffin oil Formula :
with glass is 280 and g = 9.8 m/s2] 4T
Given : P =
r
d = 0.25 mm
Solution :
d
r = 4T
2 P =
r
0.25
= = 0.125 mm 4T
2 r =
P
= 0.125 103 m
T = 0.0245 N/m 4 3.2 10 2
h = 4 cm = 0.04 m r =
51.2
= 280
= 2.5 103
g = 9.8 m/s2 . .
. d = 2r
To Find :
d = 5 103 m
= ?
Formula :
rhg
T =
2 cos
Solution :
rhg
T =
2 cos
2T cos
=
rhg

2 0.0245 cos 280

=
0.125 10 3 0.04 9.8
2 0.0245 0.8829
=
0.125 10 3 0.04 9.8
= 882.9 kg/m3

Surface Tension