Question

What happens when surface tension decreases?

Answer 1

Surface tension:

1. Surface tension is the property of liquid due to the attraction of particles in the bulk of the surface.
2. A molecule in the bulk of the surface experience equal forces from all sides. Therefore, the net force is zero.
3. But the net force on the surface is towards the interior of the liquid because there are no molecules above this surface.
4. When surface tension decreases, that means the liquid will get evaporated and will behave as gas.

Factors affecting surface tension:

1. Due to an increase in temperature, molecules become active and surface tension decreases.
2. It decreases due to less number of molecules available at the surface.
3. Surface tension becomes zero at the boiling point and it vanishes at the critical temperature.
4. Surface tension decreases as the intermolecular forces decrease.
5. As the kinetic energy of the molecules is increased, the effectiveness of intermolecular attraction also decreases, and hence surface tension is decreased.