University of Palestine

College of Engineering & Urban Planning

Applied Civil Engineering

Discussion Lecture(2)
Chapter(1)
Lecturer:
Properties of Fluids
Eng. Eman Al.Swaity

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1.6 SURFACE TENSION AND CAPILLARITY

Surface tension is defined as the tensile force acting

on the surface of a liquid in contact with a gas or on
the surface between two immiscible liquids such that
the contact surface behaves like a membrane under
tension.
The magnitude of this force per unit length of the free
surface will have the same value as the surface
energy per unit area.

It is denoted by Greek letter σ (called sigma).

SI units as N/m.,

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1.6 SURFACE TENSION AND CAPILLARITY

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1.6 SURFACE TENSION AND CAPILLARITY

1.6.1 Surface Tension on Liquid Droplet.

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1.6 SURFACE TENSION AND CAPILLARITY

1.6.2 Surface Tension on a Hollow Bubble.

A hollow bubble like a soap bubble in air has two surfaces in
contact with air, one inside and other outside. Thus two surfaces
are subjected to surface tension. In such case, we have

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1.6 SURFACE TENSION AND CAPILLARITY

1.6.3 Surface Tension on a Liquid jet.

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 Problem 1.25
The surface tension of water in contact with air at 20° C is 0.0725
N/m. The pressure inside a droplet of water is to be 0.02 N/cm2
greater than the outside pressure. Calculate the diameter of the
droplet of water.

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 Problem 1.26
Find the surface tension in a soap bubble of 40 mm diameter when the
inside pressure is 2.5 N/m2 above atmospheric pressure.

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 1.6 SURFACE TENSION AND CAPILLARITY

1.6.4 Capillarity.
Capillarity is defined as a phenomenon of rise
or fall of a liquid surface in a small tube
relative to the adjacent general level of liquid
when the tube is held vertically in the liquid.

The rise of liquid surface is known as capillary

rise while the fall of the liquid surface is known
as capillary depression.

It is expressed in terms of cm or mm of liquid.

Its value depends upon the specific weight of
the liquid, diameter of the tube and surface
tension of the liquid.

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 1.6 SURFACE TENSION AND CAPILLARITY

1.6.4 Capillarity.

Expression for Capillary Rise Expression for Capillary Fall 10

 Problem 1.28
Calculate the capillary rise in a glass tube of 2.5 mm diameter when
immersed vertically in (a) water and (b) mercury. Take surface tensions
σ = 0.0725 N/m for water and σ = 0.52 N/m for mercury in contact with
air. The specific gravity for mercury is given as 13.6 and angle of contact
= 130°.

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 Problem 1.31
Find out the minimum size of glass tube that can be used to measure
water level if the capillary rise in the tube is to be restricted to 2 mm.
Consider surface tension of water in contact with air as 0.073575 N/m

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