Surface Tension

Aim:
To determine surface tension of an unknown liquid
Theory:
A molecule in the bulk liquid is subjected to attractive forces from all directions by the
surrounding molecules. It is practically in a uniform field of force. But for the molecule at the
surface of the liquid, the net attraction towards the bulk of the liquid is much greater than the
attraction towards the vapor phase, because the molecules in the vapor phase are more widely
dispersed.
This indicates that the molecules at the surface are pulled inwards. This causes the liquid
surfaces to contract to minimum areas, which should be compatible with the total mass of the
liquid. The droplets of liquids or gas bubbles assume spherical shape, because for a given
volume, the sphere has the least surface area.
If the area of the surface is to be extended, one has to bring more molecules from the bulk of
the liquid to its surface. This requires expenditure of some energy because work has to be
done in bringing the molecules from the bulk against the inward attractive forces. The amount
of work done in increasing the area by unity is known as the surface energy. If the molecules
of a liquid exert large force of attraction, the inward pull will be large. Therefore, the amount
of work done will be large.
Surface tension is defined as the force at right angle to any line of unit length in the surface.
Therefore, surface tension = force/distance. It is expressed in N/m.
There are several methods of surface tension measurements:
1. Capillary rise method
2. Stalagmometer method drop weight method
3. Wilhelmy plate or ring method (Pull ring method)
4. Maximum bulk pressure method.
5. Methods analyzing shape of the hanging liquid drop or gas bubble.
6. Dynamic methods.
In this experiment we have used stalagmometer method and pull ring method.

Stalagmometer: In this method the several drops of the liquid leaked out of the glass capillary
of the stalagmometer are weighed. If the weight of each drop of the liquid is known, we can
also count the number of drops which leaked out to determine the surface tension.
The drops are formed slowly at the tip of the glass capillary placed in a vertical direction.
The pendant drop at the tip starts to detach when its weight (volume) reaches the magnitude
balancing the surface tension of the liquid.
The weight (volume) is dependent on the characteristics of the liquid.
Wilhelmy ring method: This method does not require calibration and the reference liquid
surface tension. In this method a thin plate (often made of platinum or glass) is used to
measure equilibrium surface or interfacial tension at air-liquid or liquid-liquid interfaces. The
plate is oriented perpendicularly to the interface and the force exerted on it is measured. The
plate should be cleaned thoroughly (in the case of platinum in a burner flame) and it is
attached to a scale or balance by means of a thin metal wire. The plate is moved towards the
surface until the meniscus connects with it. The force acting on the plate due to its wetting is
measured by a tensiometer or microbalance.
Instead of plate platinum ring can be used, which is submerged in the liquid. As the ring is
pulled out of the liquid, the force required to detach it from the liquid surface is precisely
measured. This force is related to the liquid surface tension. The platinum ring should be very
clean without blemishes or scratches because they can greatly alter the accuracy of the
results. Usually the correction for buoyancy must be introduced.
Procedure:
Wilhelmy ring method:
1.
2.
3.
4.

Clean the glass dish and platinum ring.

Determine the diameter of the metal ring.
Hang the ring to the hook from three sides equally.
Make the zero adjustment at the dynamometer using the movable tube. (In case of
software interface, first install the software then connect the Labpro with PC and
connect the force sensor in analog channel. Start the software and set the force sensor

zero.)
5. Fill distilled water into the crystallization dish.
6. Lower the clamp with hook until the metal ring is completely immersed.
7. Cautiously lower the laboratory stand, always observing the tensile force at the
dynamometer/force sensor. As soon as the edge of the metal ring emerges from the

liquid, the liquid layer is formed. When the tensile force does no longer increase
although the laboratory stand is further lowered, the layer is just before away.
8. Read the tesile force just before the layer breaks away, and take it down.
9. Pour the distilled water out, and dry the crystallization dish and the metal ring.
Stalagmometer method:
1. Clean the stalagmomter and the beaker in which drops to be collected. Note down
the weight of an empty beaker.
2. Align stalagmomter straight to the stand.
3. Then take distilled water in the beaker. Suck the distilled water in stalagmometer
upto the top mark with the help of sucker.
4. Clean the bottom surface of the stalagmometer.
5. Now slowly take out the sucker without disturbing the setup.
6. Drops will start coming out of the stalagmometer, collect twenty drops. Weigh the
sample. Calculate the weight of twenty drops of distilled water.
7. Now calculate the surface tension of distilled water with the help of formula.
Compare the result with the one you got using Ring pull method. This will
validate the two methods for surface tension determination.
8. Empty the stalagmometer and beaker, clean it. Take an unknown liquid whose
surface tension needs to be calculated.
9. Rinse the stalagmometer with an unknown sample. Repeat step no. 3 to 6.
10. Write down the densities of distilled water and unknown liquid.
11. Now using the value of surface tension of distilled water as reference liquid,
calculate the surface tension of an unknown liquid.
Calculation:
Wilhelmy ring method:
Weight of the ring: 0.037N
Force when the metal ring is completely immersed F1: ...N
Tensile force just before the layer breaks away F2: N
Actual tensile force with water F = F2-F1= .N
Diamter of the metal ring: 2R = 61.5mm
Surface tension:
= F/4R = ..N/m
Stalagmometer method:
Liquid

No.
drops

Water

of Wt. of liquid with Wt. of Empty Wt. of drops

beaker

beaker

Density

Unknown
liquid
Surface tension can be calculated as follows:

Where,

= surface tension of an unknown liquid

= mass of liquid

= density of liquid

= No. of drops of the liquid