Surface Tension and Surface Adsorption

Date Performed: September 3rd, 2014

Date Due: September 10th, 2014

Kiran Vekaria ____________________________

Objectives:
The purpose of this lab is to find how the surface tension of the solution is related to the
capillary action of the surface. Also, this lab shows the relation of concentration to the surface
tension of the solution. The Gibbs absorption isotherm can describe this relation, which allows to
graphically find the surface concentration. From this the surface excess is used to describe the
behavior of how the concentrations congregate within the bulk of the solution.

Data Sheet:
Serial Dilution Calculations:
Tria
l
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9

V nbut
(mL)
0
50
50
50
50
125
75
175
100

V
(mL
)
0
0.05
0.05
0.05
0.05
0.11
0.08
0.16
0

[n-but]I
(mol/L)
0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
0.8
0.8
0.8
0.8

[n-but]I
(mol/L)
0
0.00036
0.00051
0.00080
0
0
0
0
0

Dillutio
n (mL)
0
100
100
100
100
200
100
200
100

Dilut
e (mL)
0
0.08
0.08
0.08
0.08
0.10
0.08
0.10
0

[n-but]f
(mol/L)
0
0.1
0.2
0.3
0.4
0.5
0.6
0.7
0.8

[n-but]f
(mol/L)
0.00000
0.00022
0.00036
0.00055
0.00051
0.00051
0.00080
0.00073
0

Height Measurements:
Tria
l
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9

[nbut]f
0
0.1
0.2
0.3
0.4
0.5
0.6
0.7
0.8

Height
(cm)
2.2
1.8
1.6
1.4
1.3
1.3
1.1
1
1

Height
(cm)
2.3
1.9
1.5
1.3
1.2
1.1
1.1
1
0.9

Height
(cm)
2.2
1.9
1.7
1.4
1.3
1.2
1.2
1.1
0.9

Height
(cm)
2.4
1.8
1.6
1.4
1.2
1.1
1
1
1

Height
(cm)
2.5
1.8
1.7
1.3
1.2
1.2
1.1
1.1
1

Calculated values of the radius of capillary tube and surface area:

M of n-butanol (g/mol)
of water (kg/m^3)
Accel due to gravity,g
(m/s^2)
(N/m)
Radius of Capillary
Tube (m)
r (m)
(m^2)

74.12
999.97
9.80665
0.0725
0.0006373
42
1.37358E05
5.92732E10

Heigh
t (m)
0.0005
0.0005
0.0005
0.0005
0.0005
0.0005
0.0005
0.0005
0.0005

Average
Height (m)
0.0232
0.0184
0.0162
0.0136
0.0124
0.0118
0.011
0.0104
0.0096

Calculated Values of Surface Tension:

Tria
l
1

[nbut]f
0

0.1

of nbutanol
(kg/m^3)
0

of nbutanol
(kg/m^3)

(N//m)

(N/m)

7.412

0.01644061
1

9.1854E06

1.48121E05

0.2

14.824

0.02684740
6

1.61743E
-05

2.82841E05

0.3

22.236

0.04110821
1

2.03676E
-05

4.03125E05

0.4

29.648

0.03796796
5

2.47607E
-05

5.25489E05

2.94532E
-05

6.49826E05

0.5

37.06

0.03750940
7

0.6

44.472

0.059296

3.29476E
-05

7.69318E05

0.7

51.884

0.05406697
1

3.63423E
-05

8.88616E05

0.8

59.296

Calculated Values of Surface Excess:

Slope
(s^2/kg)
Surface
Excess
(mol)

Graphs:

1.00E-05
-2.42206E18

3.83391E 0.0001002
-05
72

log([n-but])
2.3025850
93
1.6094379
12
1.2039728
04
0.9162907
32
0.6931471
81
0.5108256
24
0.3566749
44
0.2231435
51

f(x) = 0x + 0
R = 0.97

Sample Calculations:
Calculations for r of capillary tube:
This calculation is used to find the radius of the capillary tube used in the experiment:
N
)
2
m
r=
=
=0.000637342m
gh
kg
m
(999.97 3 )(9.80665 2 )(0.0232m )
m
s
2(0.0725

The error propagation equation for this calculation is as follows.

N
)
2
m
5
r=
h=
0.0005m=1.37410 m
2
kg
m
g h
(999.97 3 )(9.80665 2 )(0.0232 m)2
m
s
2(0.0725

Calculation for :
This shows the general form of the surface tension calculation:

hgr
=
2

(0.0184 m)(7.412

kg
m
)(9.80665 2 )( 0.0006373m)
3
m
s
6 N
=9.1810
2
m

The error propagation equation for this calculation is as follows.

=

( (

2
2
gr
hg
hgr
h +
r +

2
2
2

)(

7.412

) (

2
kg
m
9.80665
(
0.0006373
m
)
m3
s2
(0.0005 m) +
2

)(

1.374105 m
kg
m
( 0.0184 m ) 7.412 3 9.80665 2
m
s
()
2

)(

2
m
(0.0184 m)(9.80665 2 )(0.0006373 m)
s
kg
5
(0.01644 3 ) =1.481210 m
2
m

Conclusions and Discussions:

( )
18
From above, it can be seen that the surface excess is n2 =2.4220610 mol . This

shows that as the concentration of the solute n-butanol increases in the solution the surface
tension will decrease. This happens because there is a tendency for the solute to create a gradient

with a higher concentration near the surface. As there are more particles of the solute at the
surface there is a less uniformity.
For future labs, a better method for measuring the surface tension could be used. This
would allow for better accuracy of the measurement then trying to measure height of the column.
Also, this would allow for measurement of solutions where the solute will congregate near the
bottom of the solution.