Question

A liquid is placed into a thin glass tube and settles into a surface with an inverted meniscus in the form of an upside-down letter U.Choose the best explanation for why this occurs.

• A. The nonpolar liquid molecules repel the nonpolar molecules of the tube.
• B. The liquid is nonpolar and its molecules have a stronger interaction with each other than with the polar molecules of the glass tube.
• C. There are no intermolecular interactions between the molecules and the container.
• D. The liquid molecules must have a very strong intermolecular force holding them together so they must be very polar.

Answer 1

The correct option is B The liquid is nonpolar and its molecules have a stronger interaction with each other than with the polar molecules of the glass tube.

When liquid water is confined in a tube, its surface (meniscus) has a concave shape because water wets the surface and creeps up the side.

Water wets glass and spreads out on it because the adhesive forces between the liquid and the glass are stronger than the cohesive forces within the water.

So liquid forms U shape structure in the glass.