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Chapter 11: Problem 22

What is surface tension? What is the relationship between intermolecular forces and surface tension? How does surface tension change with temperature?

Short Answer

Expert verified
Surface tension is like an elastic sheet atop a liquid due to unbalanced intermolecular attractions. Stronger intermolecular forces result in higher surface tension as molecules hold each other tightly. An increase in temperature increases molecular movement, consequently weakening intermolecular forces and reducing surface tension.

Step by step solution

01

Define surface tension

Surface tension is a phenomenon in which the surface of a liquid, where the liquid is in contact with a gas, acts like a thin elastic sheet. This occurs because the molecules at the surface of the liquid are not completely surrounded by other liquid molecules, so they adhere more strongly to each other and to the liquid below than the air above, creating this 'elasticity'.
02

Relation between intermolecular forces and surface tension

The surface tension is a direct result of intermolecular forces in the fluid. Intermolecular forces are the forces of attraction between molecules, which can be of different types like Van der Waals forces, dipole-dipole interaction, etc. The strength of intermolecular forces determines the amount of surface tension of a liquid. Stronger intermolecular forces correlate to higher surface tension as the molecules pull each other together more tightly, making the 'elastic sheet' at the surface more resistant to being broken or stretched.
03

Effect of temperature on surface tension

Temperature impacts surface tension. As the temperature increases, the average kinetic energy of the molecules in the liquid also increases and they start to move more rapidly. This increased movement decreases the strength of the intermolecular forces, because the higher kinetic energy competes with the forces pulling the molecules together. As a result, the surface tension decreases with increasing temperature.

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