Question

Consider the following statements regarding the experiment to determine the surface tension of water by capillary rise method
$1$. Capillary tube should be clean and liquid should be free from dirt and grease
$2$. Distilled water should be avoided
Choose the correct option

• A. Only $1$ is correct
• B. Only $2$ is correct
• C. Both $1$ and $2$ are correct
• D. Neither $1$ and $2$ are correct

Answer 1

The correct option is C Both $1$ and $2$ are correct

During the experiment to determine the capillary rise,

a) the liquid should be clean and dirt should be avoided because impure liquid can change the contact angle of the liquid and therefore, result in an incorrect reading of the capillary rise.

b) The contact angle of water is equal to 0 only for drinking water and distilled water has completely different properties because of the absence of salts.