Properties of liquid:

• Liquid is the intermediate state of matter between

solid state and gaseous state.
• The liquid has specific volume but not definite
shape.
• According to the kinetic model, the molecules of
liquid are close together and the attractive forces
between them are strong in comparison to the gases.
• However, the intermolecular forces are not as strong
as in solid.
 The liquid state of matter shows the following
properties:

• Volume: Liquids have definite volume. The

intermolecular force is stronger than that
of the gas. Hence, they do not expand to
occupy all the available space i.e. the given
mass of a liquid has a fixed volume.
• Density: Liquid molecules are more
densely packed than gaseous
molecules. So, the density of a liquid
is greater than that of a gas under
similar condition. The density of a
liquid decreases with increase in
temperature.
• Compressibility: Liquids are less compressible
than gases because there is a little free space
to be compressed.
• Evaporation: Liquid is the state of matter
balanced by kinetic energy of liquid
molecules with intermolecular forces of
attraction.
• When a kinetic energy of a molecule
exceeds the binding intermolecular force
of attraction, the molecule escapes from
liquid surface. This phenomenon is
termed as evaporation.
• The spontaneous escaping of molecules at any
temperature from the liquid surface to vapour
state due to its higher kinetic energy than the
intermolecular force of attraction is called
evaporation.
• Due to evaporation, average kinetic energy of
the molecules left in the liquid state is lowered
which causes cooling of the liquid i.e. cooling
is caused by evaporation.
 Vapour pressure:
• On heating any liquid in a closed vessel, the rate of
evaporation increases and the vapour pressure on the
container increases.
• Later on, these molecules start to collide with each
other than start to condense into liquid within the
container.
• During these two opposing phenomena of
evaporation and condensation, a stage appears where
rate of evaporation is equal to rate of condensation.
• The pressure created by vapour at that stage is called
vapour pressure.
• Thus, vapour pressure of liquid is defined as
the pressure exerted by the vapours of liquid
when rate of evaporation is equal to rate of
condensation at a given temperature in a
closed container.
 Boiling point:
• The rise of temperature increases the vapour pressure.
• If the process is continued, the vapour pressure of a liquid
becomes equal to the atmospheric pressure.
• At this stage, evaporation takes place faster than condensation.
• This phenomenon of liquid is known as boiling.
• Thus, the temperature at which vapour pressure of a liquid
becomes equal to the atmospheric pressure is known as boiling
point.
• In this way, the boiling point of liquid is higher at plains
and sea level than at the higher altitudes because as the height
of the earth’s surface increases, atmospheric pressure will go
on decreasing.
 
 Surface tension:
• The molecules which are below the surface of
liquid called bulk molecules are attracted from
all directions but those on the surface are
attracted only towards the interior.

• Therefore, all the surface molecules

experience resultant downward pull. This is
known as surface tension.
 Thus, the surface tension is defined as force per unit length acting
perpendicular to the line drawn on the surface of liquid. The unit of
surface tension is dynes cm-1.
• In other words, the force which exerts an
inward pull on the molecules at the surface is
called surface tension.
 The following phenomena are the
outcomes of the surface tension.
• The liquid drops have spherical shape:
The effect of surface tension is to reduce the
surface area of the liquid to minimum.
Since a sphere has the minimum surface area
for a given volume of the liquid the inward pull
or the surface tension is responsible for the
spherical shape of liquid drops.
• The rise or fall of a liquid in a capillary tube:
• If a capillary tube is dipped into a liquid, the liquid
rises into the capillary tube to a certain height.
• This phenomenon takes place because the adhesive
force is greater than the cohesive force of liquid.
• The rising stops when the adhesive force is
balanced by weight of the liquid.
• This is the cause why water level rises up the glass
capillary tube with concave meniscus upward.
. The meniscus for mercury in a glass tube is
concave downward. Explain

• When cohesive force is greater than adhesive

force, liquid is convex upward or concave
downward.
• When a glass tube is dipped inside the mercury
liquid, the mercury rises inside.
• In this case, the cohesive force is greater than
adhesive force. So, there is concave downward
in the mercury liquid.
 Why is a mercury droplet spherical?

• Mercury is found in liquid state.

• In mercury, cohesive force is greater than
adhesive force due to this the surface of liquid
tends to contract to the smallest possible area
for a given volume of liquid which is called
surface tension.
• Hence, due to the very high surface tension
mercury droplets are spherical.
 Viscosity:

• Viscosity implies resistance to flow of a liquid.

It is well known fact that all liquids do not flow
equally.
• The liquids flowing slowly eg, glycerine, honey
etc. are said to have high viscosity i.e. are
viscous whereas those flowing easily eg,
water, alcohol etc. are said to have low
viscosity i.e. are less viscous.
• When the liquid begins to flow, it consists of a
number of molecular layers.
• The second layer moves faster than the first layer.
Hence, each successive layer moves gradually
with increasing speed.
• The difference in speeds of the different layers is
due to the phenomenon of liquid calledviscosity.
• Thus, “viscosity is defined as the internal
resistance to flow of a liquid which one layer
offers to another layer trying to pass over it.”
 The coefficient of viscosity(η ) is defined as the force in dyne per square cm
required to maintain a difference of velocity of 1cm/sec between two parallel
layers of the liquid held at a distance of 1cm apart.
The unit of viscosity is poise(P).
1P = 1 dyne cm-2sec
• Q. Define coefficient of viscosity. How coefficient of viscosity is
related with viscous force?
→ Coefficient of viscosity is related with viscous force(F) as:
 
F= η Adv
dt
Where, F= viscous force
η= coefficient of viscosity
A= Area of liquid layer
dv= velocity gradient
dt
• . What is evaporation? How does it differ from boiling?
→ Evaporation differs from boiling in following respects:
• Evaporation takes place spontaneously at all
temperatures, whereas boiling occurs only at that
temperature when the vapour pressure of the liquid
becomes equal to the pressure of the atmosphere at a
place.
• Evaporation takes place from the surface of liquid only,
whereas boiling occurs by bubble formation throughout
the bulk of the solid.
• . What is the effect of temperature on
i) surface tension ii) viscosity iii) vapour pressure of liquid
→ (i) Surface tension decreases by increasing the temperature
of liquid.
(ii)Viscosity of liquid decreases by increasing the
temperature of liquid.
(iii)Vapour pressure of liquid increases by increasing the
temperature of liquid.
Q. How is surface tension of liquid generated?