Which property of water causes the liquid water to curve at the surface?

surface tension
The meniscus is the curve caused by surface tension in the upper surface of a liquid. It can be either convex or concave. A convex meniscus occurs when the molecules have a stronger attraction to each other (cohesion) than to the material of the container (adhesion), causing the surface of the liquid to cave downward.

What is responsible for causing the surface of the water in a graduated cylinder to curve slightly at the sides?

At the water/glass interface other water molecules will try to associate with those at the interface. They do this as far as they are able to before gravity prevents further movement, thereby creating the curved meniscus. So the biggest reason for the curvature is surface tension.

How does surface tension increase surface area?

Surface tension is the energy, or work, required to increase the surface area of a liquid due to intermolecular forces. Since these intermolecular forces vary depending on the nature of the liquid (e.g. water vs. Water droplets form on the surface of the water pool because of surface tension.

Why does water have a high surface tension?

Water has an unusually high surface tension because of the relatively high attraction of water molecules to each other through a web of hydrogen bonds, water has a higher surface tension than most other liquids.

What is surface tension describe how surface tension in water is useful for plants and animals?

surface tension of water helps creatures(mostly of insecta class such as water striders) to walk on water. . it also helps water to move up the xylem tissue of higher plants without breaking up.

How does water surface tension work?

Surface tension in water owes to the fact that water molecules attract one another, as each molecule forms a bond with the ones in its vicinity. This inward net force causes the molecules on the surface to contract and to resist being stretched or broken.

How does surface tension minimize surface area?

Cohesive forces between molecules cause the surface of a liquid to contract to the smallest possible surface area. This general effect is called surface tension. Molecules on the surface are pulled inward by cohesive forces, reducing the surface area.

Why does surface tension increase with intermolecular forces?

The stronger the intermolecular interactions, the greater the surface tension. It results when cohesive forces, the intermolecular forces in the liquid, are weaker than adhesive forces, the attraction between a liquid and the surface of the capillary.

How is water surface tension important?

How does intermolecular forces affect surface tension?

Stronger intermolecular forces will produce greater surface tension . The intermolecular forces present in a sample of water are hydrogen bonds . If the hydrogen bonds are removed or disrupted, the surface tension will decrease.

What is the surface tension of water?

Surface Tension. A microscopic view of water illustrates the difference between molecules at the surface of a liquid and water molecules within a liquid. The molecules at the surface of this sample of liquid water are not surrounded by other water molecules. The molecules inside the sample are surrounded by other molecules.

What is the difference between capillary and surface tension?

capillary action : Is a combination force of attraction among water molecules and all the surrounding materials causes the liquid to go up against the force of gravity. surface tension: Is a force that acts on the the particles at the surface of a liquid.

Why does liquid water have a concave surface?

When liquid water is confined in a tube, its surface (meniscus) has a concave shape because water wets the surface and creeps up the side. Mercury does not wet glass – the cohesive forces within the drops are stronger than the adhesive forces between the drops and glass.

What type of forces are present at the surface of liquid?

A molecule in the bulk liquid experiences cohesive forces with other molecules in all directions. A molecule at the surface of a liquid experiences only net inward cohesive forces.