MEASUREMENTS OF SURFACE TENSION

OBJECTIVES
To determine the surface tension of water, chloroform and benzene using drop
weight method, drop number method and capillary rise method.
INTRODUCTION
Surface tension is a force pulling the molecules of the interface together resulting in
a contracted surface. The force per unit area applied is measured in unit dynes/cm
or N/m. The surface tension is depending on the nature of the liquid and is
independent of the area of surface or length of line considered. Surface tension has
a unique direction with scalar.
Surface tension is measured at the liquid-gas interface. Interfacial tension is the
measure referred to a liquid-liquid interface between immiscible liquids. Surface
energy is the potential energy of surface molecules per unit area of the surface. As
the surface free energy increases, the surface tension increases.
Surface energy:

W = A

Contact angle is related to both surface tension and thermodynamic equilibrium

between phases. Contact angle is used to measure the wettability of surfaces. The
contact angle is 0o, then there is complete wetting and between 0 o and 90o, the solids
is wettable and above 90o it is not wettable. Surfaces with the contact angle lower
than 90 degrees are hydrophilic and the surfaces with higher than 90 degrees is
hydrophobic.

Figure 1 contact angle and wetting.

The intermolecular force is a force of attraction between the molecules. The

intermolecular forces of attraction can be divided into two types which is cohesive
force and adhesive force.
ADHESIVE FORCE
COHESIVE FORCE
It is a forces of attraction of molecules It is a force of attraction between
with other phases or substances.
molecules of the same phase.
Example: water wets the glass surface Example: the force between
due to the force of adhesion.

mercury

molecules

makes

the
them

stronger.
Factors affecting surface tension:
1.

Temperature: As the temperature increases, the surface tension of

liquid decreases. The surface tension of liquid is zero at the liquids boiling
point. At critical temperature, the liquids can expand without any restriction
due to the equal intermolecular force of liquids. The variation in surface
tension with temperature is linear.
T1= T0 (1-t)
T1, T0 are the surface tensions at i0C and 00C.
= temperature coefficient of surface tension.
2.

Impurities: The presence of impurities on the liquid surface or dissolved

in it will affect the force of surface tension, depending upon the degree of

contamination. Surface tension of water increases when the highly soluble

substance dissolved in water. The surface tension of water decreases when
the slightly soluble substance dissolved in water.
Application of surface tension
1.
2.

Rough sea can be calmed by pouring oil on its surface.

The oil and grease spots on clothes cannot be removed by pure water.

When the detergents are added in water, the surface tension of water
decreases, wetting power of soap solution increases. Hence, the adhesion
force between detergent solution and oil increases. Thus washes the clothes
easily by removing the spots.
3.
Oil spreads over the surface of water because the surface tension of oil
is less than the surface tension of water.
METHODS OF DETERMINATION OF SURFACE TENSION
1.

Drop weight method: The surface tension of a liquid is related to the

weight of a drop of that liquid which falls freely from the end of a tube.
The following equations will be used:
w 1w 2
m1=
10
M1 is the mass of single drop
W1 is the beaker with the sample
W2 is the empty beaker
10 is the amount of drops
1 m1
=
2 m2
Y1= the surface tension of water (known reference)
Y2= the surface tension of the sample. (unknown)
M1 = the mass of one drop of water
M2= the mass of one drop of the sample
2.

Drop number method: The surface tension of unknown solution ( 2 )

may be obtained by counting the number of drops (n) in a certain volume of

liquid using a graduated pipette under similar conditions and a liquid of known
surface tension ( 1 ) must be similarly treated using the same pipette under
the same conditions.
The following equation will be used:

1 n 2d 1
=
2 n 1d 2

3.

Capillary rise method: When a capillary tube of a radius (r) is placed in

a liquid with density (d) and contained in a beaker, the liquid generally rises up
the tube a certain distance (h). by measuring this rise, it is possible to
determine the surface tension of the liquid using the following equation:
1
= hrdg
2
Y= surface tension of the liquid (dyne/cm)
h = height of the liquid in the capillary tube (cm)
r = radius of the capillary tube (cm)
d = density of the liquid (g/cm3)
g = acceleration due to gravity (980 cm/ sec2)
MATERIALS AND APPARATUS
50ml beakers, 1ml pipettes, digital weighing balance, capillary tubes, ruler, rubber
band, chloroform, benzene and water.

METHODS
DROP WEIGHT METHOD
1.
2.

An empty, clean and dry 50ml beaker was weighed.

10 drops of water were added into an empty beaker using a clean 1ml

pipette and weighed. Pipette were hold vertically while adding the drops of the
liquid.
3.
Step 1 and 2 were repeated three times and the average weight of one
drop were calculated using the given formula.
w 1w 2
m1=
10
4.

Step 1 till 3 were repeated for the following samples, which is

chloroform and benzene using the same pipette and beaker. The beaker was
washed and cleaned before using the following sample.
5.
The surface tension of the samples was calculated using the equation:
1 m1
=
2 m2
DROP NUMBER METHOD
1.

The number of drops of 0.5ml of water were counted using a new 1ml

pipette in the vertical position.

2.
The same pipette was cleaned and dried and then repeated the step 1
for the provided samples.
3.
The surface tension of the samples was calculated using the samples.
1 n 2d 1
=
2 n 1d 2

CAPILLARY RISE METHOD

1.
2.
3.

The provided capillary was cleaned using the solution to be used.

The capillary was attached to a ruler with a rubber band.
The ruler with the capillary were placed in a 50ml beaker containing

water as a reference. The ruler was placed perpendicular to the bottom. The
capillary should have attached as just above the bottom of the beaker.
4.
The height after equilibrium were measured by marking the capillary.
5.
The average value of the radius was calculated using the surface
tension of water which is equal to 72.8 dyne/cm at 25 0C.
1
= hrdg
2
6.

Steps 1 till 4 were repeated for other samples and its surface tension

were calculated.

RESULTS
DROP WEIGHT METHOD
Weight of empty beaker = 49.31g
Table 1 average mass of one drop of sample and surface tension of the sample.
Sample

First reading

Second

Third

Average

Surface

(g)

reading (g)

reading (g)

mass of

tension

one drop

(dynes/cm)

(g)
Water

W1
49.51

M1
W1
0.02 49.49

M2
W1
0.018 49.43

M2
0.012

0.017

72

Chlorofor

49.43

0.012 49.40

0.009 49.44

0.013

0.011

46.59

m
Benzene

49.46

0.015 49.48

0.017 49.47

0.016

0.016

67.76

DROP NUMBER METHOD

Table 2 surface tension of chloroform and benzene using drop number method.
Sample

Density

Number of

Average number

Surface tension (

(d)

drops (n)

of drops ( n 1 )

) (dyne/cm)

Water

12

13

13

12.7

72 (given)

Chlorofor

1.47

45

44

45

44.7

30.07

m
Benzene

0.879

24

26

23

24.3

33.08

CAPILLARY RISE METHOD

Average height of water =

3.3+ 4.1+3.5 10.9

=
=3.63
cm
3
3

To find radius:
1
= hrdg
2
1
72= 3.63 r 1 980
2
72=1778.7 r
72
=r
1778.7
r=0.04 cm

Table 3 surface tension of chloroform and benzene using capillary rise method.
Sample

Height (cm)
A
B
c

Average height (cm)

Chloroform

1.2 1.1 1.1

1.13

(dyne/cm)
32.56

Benzene

2.6 2.7 2.6

2.63

45.31

Surface tension,

Table 4 comparison of surface tension of samples using three different methods.

Sample
Water
Chloroform
Benzene

Surface tension (dynes/cm)

Drop weight method Drop number method Capillary rise method
72
72
72
46.59
30.07
32.56
67.76
33.08
45.31

DISCUSSION
According to the result, generally benzene have higher surface tension compared to
chloroform in all three methods. This is because, the relative value of surface tension
is depending upon the nature of intermolecular forces present between the
molecules. Hence, the intermolecular forces of attraction in benzene is larger than
the chloroform. Benzene in naturally with pi electrons, exhibits higher surface tension
than chloroform. Moreover, higher the molecular weight, increases the intermolecular
forces of attractions, increases the surface tension. Therefore, benzene has larger
surface tension compared to chloroform.
The standard surface tension value for benzene is 28.88 dyne/cm 3 at 20 degrees
Celsius. Based on the result of this experiment, the surface tension of benzene is
67.76, 33.08, 45.31 based on drop weight method, drop number method and
capillary rise method respectively. Based on the result the surface tension of
benzene is comparatively higher than the standard surface tension of benzene. The
standard value of chloroform is 27.50 dynes/cm 3 at 20 degrees Celsius but based on
result the surface tension of chloroform is 46.59, 30.07, and 32.56 using drop weight
method, drop number method and capillary rise method respectively. This may be
due to the external factors that affects surface tension in the laboratory. The two
main factors affect the surface tension are could be temperature and impurities.
The same experiment was carried out by other groups as well. Based on comparison
between other group, the surface tension of chloroform is lower than the surface
tension of the benzene in all three methods that were carried out. The results of both
groups can be said that some are equal and slightly differs but this could be
environmental errors or influenced by temperature and impurities that present in the
samples. The comparison of both the results as follows:

Comparison of surface tension with other groups

70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Drop weight method

Drop number method

Capillary rise method

Figure 2 comparison of surface tension of chloroform, benzene and water with

different group.

CONCLUSION
The aim is not achieved. There are huge differences between the standard surface
tension and the surface tension based on these three methods of benzene and
chloroform. This result could have influenced by the external factor which are
temperature and impurities. According to the theory, as the temperature increases,
thermal energy between the molecules increases, the work required to bring the
molecules to the interface should decrease and thus, surface tension decreases.
Based on the experiment carried out, as the temperature increases, the surface
tension increases too this may be due to the presence of impurities that may react
with the samples. Even though the other groups readings are almost similar with our
group readings, still the aim is not achieved, if it is compared with the standard value
and based on theory.
REFERENCNES
1. Access on: 25th May 2016; http://www.everythingmaths.co.za/science/grade11/04-intermolecular-forces
2. Access on: 24th May 2016;
https://books.google.com.my/books?
id=xYvrAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA330&lpg=PA330&dq=why+benzene+have+more+
surface+tension+than+chloroform&source=bl&ots=MYhGk4xkEu&sig=IAzD6i
3kkmNnIkXN22PmM1L4Yp0&hl=en&sa=X&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=why
%20benzene%20have%20more%20surface%20tension%20than
%20chloroform&f=false