Question

Identify the incorrect statement regarding surface tension.

• A. Due to surface tension, a liquid when spread over any surface tends to form spherical drops.
• B. It arises because of intermolecular forces, mainly due to cohesive forces.
• C. Surface tension increases, if temperature of liquid is increased keeping other parameters fixed.
• D. Surface tension is independent of the surface area of free surface of liquid.

Answer 1

The correct option is C Surface tension increases, if temperature of liquid is increased keeping other parameters fixed.

Due to surface tension, a liquid's free surface behaves like a stretched membrane. Hence whenever liquid is spread on any surface, it has tendency to contract so that it can minimize its surface area by achieving spherical shape.

$\Rightarrow$It arises due to strong cohesive force acting between the liquid molecules.
$\because$ Increasing temperature of liquid will weaken the intermolecular cohesive forces, hence surface tension will decrease if temperature is increased.