A drop of water or mercury on a clean glass plate is circular in shape. Why?

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Solution

Surface tension in the case of a drop is greater which makes its surface minimum and so spherical.

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Q. On a clean glass plate a drop of water spreads to form a thin layer whereas a drop of mercury remains almost spherical because

Explain why

(a) The angle of contact of mercury with glass is obtuse, while that of water with glass is acute.

(b) Water on a clean glass surface tends to spread out while mercury on the same surface tends to form drops. (Put differently, water wets glass while mercury does not.)

(d) Water with detergent dissolved in it should have small angles of contact.

(e) A drop of liquid under no external forces is always spherical in shape

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If a water drop is kept between two glass plates, then its shape is

Q. Spray some mercury and some water on a glass surface. It will be observed that mercury forms _______ drops while water _______.

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