Question

When the temperature of a liquid increases, its surface tension
.

• A. increases
• B. decreases
• C. remains constant

Answer 1

The correct option is B decreases

The magnitude of the surface tension of a liquid depends on the attractive forces between the molecules. When the attractive forces are large, the surface tension is large. An increase in temperature increases the kinetic energy of the molecules, and the effectiveness of intermolecular attraction decreases. So the surface tension decreases as the temperature is raised.