Principle

The cohesive forces in a liquid generate tension on its surface, the so-called surface tension. A metal ring that is plunged into a liquid is withdrawn from the liquid. At a certain tensile force, the liquid film will be disrupted from the ring. Based on the tensile force and ring diameter, the surface tension of a liquid can be calculated

Benefits


High sensitivity measurement possible thanks to ring method

Analogue set-up that can also be used as a demo experiment in the lecture hall

Interdisciplinary use also in applied sciences or physical chemistry


Task

Examine the surface tension of a liquid.

What you can learn about


Wetting and non-wetting liquids

capillarity