Viscosity and surface tension, are dependent on molecular interactions.
- Viscosity results due to collaboration among molecules of identical molecules located in the same material (in the case of fluids).
- Whereas surface tension is determined by the difference in interactions between the molecules of the material (fluid) with the molecules of the material in contact.
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What is Surface Tension?
Surface tension is the amount of energy required to increase the surface of the liquid by unit area. In other words, it is also the property of the liquid surface that resists force. Intuitively, it keeps a barrier between foreign materials and liquid, this is the force that holds the liquid molecules bound together.
For example, if we add soap to the water, its surface tension decreases, thereby enabling the liquid with soap to easily mix with dirt on hand and thus clean it. It is also the property of the liquid surface that it resists force.
Intuitively, it keeps a barrier between foreign materials and liquid. This is the force that holds the liquid molecules bonded together.
If we add soap to the water, its surface tension decreases, so the liquid soap easily mixes with the dirt on hand and cleans it.
Surface tension is sometimes seen in terms of energy. That is more is the surface tension, more is the energy and thus to minimize energy the fluids assume the shape with the smallest surface area. This is the reason behind the water droplets’ being spherical. A sphere has a minimal surface area for a given volume.
What is Viscosity?
Viscosity is the resistance of a fluid to flow.
For example, oil has a high viscosity, but when we put it in the car and heat it up, it becomes less viscous and thus flows smoothly through the engine and other parts of the car. Higher the viscosity, the slower the liquid flow will be. Viscosity decreases with an increase in temperature, with some exceptions.
Viscosity is sometimes also understood as the frictional forces that act in between a fluid and the surface of contact. The surface can either be a solid surface like a pipe and water can be the fluid. Now the resistance provided by the pipe to the water flow is viscosity. However, viscosity can also arise in between two fluids flowing at different velocities.
The above phenomenon of viscosity is very much particular to liquid, to be precise Newtonian fluids. However, in the case of non-Newtonian fluids, the interactions are quite bizarre and are always hard to model and understand.
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