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Related Concept Videos

Excess Pressure Inside a Drop and a Bubble01:13

Excess Pressure Inside a Drop and a Bubble

The shape of a small drop of liquid can be considered spherical, neglecting the effect of gravity. This drop can further be considered as two equal hemispherical drops put together due to surface tension. The forces acting on the spherical drop are due to the pressure of the liquid inside the drop, the pressure due to air outside the drop, and the force due to the surface tension acting on the two hemispherical drops.
Surface Tension of Fluid01:22

Surface Tension of Fluid

Surface tension is a fundamental property of fluids, occurring at the boundary between a liquid and a gas or between two immiscible liquids. This phenomenon arises from the cohesive forces between molecules at the fluid's surface, creating an effect similar to a stretched elastic membrane. Inside each fluid, molecules are equally attracted in all directions by neighboring molecules, but surface molecules experience a net inward force, resulting in surface tension.
Surface tension varies with...
Hydrostatic Pressure Force on a Curved Surface01:04

Hydrostatic Pressure Force on a Curved Surface

Hydrostatic pressure on curved surfaces is a fundamental concept in fluid mechanics with broad applications in the civil engineering field. When fluid is in contact with a curved surface, as in a reservoir, dam, or storage tank, it exerts pressure that varies in magnitude and direction along the curved surface. To assess the total hydrostatic force exerted by the fluid on a curved structure, engineers typically isolate the fluid volume adjacent to the surface and analyze the forces acting on...
Surface Tension01:24

Surface Tension

Surface tension is defined as the force per unit length (γ) acting along the surface of a liquid. It arises due to strong intermolecular forces of attraction. A molecule located inside the bulk of the liquid is surrounded by other molecules and experiences equal forces in all directions. However, a molecule at the surface experiences unbalanced forces because there are more neighboring molecules below than above. This creates a net inward force that pulls surface molecules toward the interior,...
Surface Tension and Surface Energy01:16

Surface Tension and Surface Energy

When a paint brush is immersed in water, the bristles wave freely inside the water. When it is taken out, the bristles stick together. The reason behind this effect is surface tension.
Consider a beaker filled with liquid. The bulk molecules in the liquid experience equal attractive forces on all sides with the surrounding molecules. However, the surface molecules experience a net attractive force downward due to the bulk molecules. The surface of the liquid behaves like a stretched membrane,...
Surface Tension, Capillary Action, and Viscosity02:57

Surface Tension, Capillary Action, and Viscosity

Surface Tension
The various IMFs between identical molecules of a substance are examples of cohesive forces. The molecules within a liquid are surrounded by other molecules and are attracted equally in all directions by the cohesive forces within the liquid. However, the molecules on the surface of a liquid are attracted only by about one-half as many molecules. Because of the unbalanced molecular attractions on the surface molecules, liquids contract to form a shape that minimizes the number...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 7, 2026

Induction of Microstreaming by Nonspherical Bubble Oscillations in an Acoustic Levitation System
08:19

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Published on: May 9, 2021

Bubbles and drops on curved surfaces.

Majid Soleimani1, Reghan J Hill, Theo G M van de Ven

  • 1Department of Chemical Engineering, McGill University , Montreal, Quebec H3A 0C5, Canada.

Langmuir : the ACS Journal of Surfaces and Colloids
|October 8, 2013
PubMed
Summary

Surface curvature influences liquid drop behavior. This study models how curved surfaces drive small liquid drops to migrate laterally, predicting migration velocities on various substrates.

Area of Science:

  • Physics
  • Fluid Dynamics
  • Surface Science

Background:

  • Surface curvature significantly impacts the shape, stability, and contact angle of liquid drops.
  • Understanding these effects is crucial for various applications, including microfluidics and materials science.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To develop an approximate analytical solution for non-axisymmetric perturbations of small spherical drops on curved substrates.
  • To investigate the influence of surface curvature on drop shape, internal pressure, and surface energy.
  • To determine the energy-gradient force responsible for lateral drop migration.

Main Methods:

  • Developed an approximate analytical solution for perturbed spherical drops.
  • Validated the analytical model using numerical solutions of the Laplace equation via Surface Evolver software.

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  • Analyzed the energy-gradient force and viscous resistance to predict drop migration velocity.

    • Main Results:

    • The analytical model accurately predicts the effects of surface curvature on drop dynamics.
    • Identified an energy-gradient force that drives lateral migration of drops on curved surfaces.
    • Predicted migration velocities of approximately 0.1 mm/s for 1 mm water drops on a substrate with a specific curvature gradient.

    Conclusions:

    • Surface curvature is a key factor governing sessile and pendant drop behavior.
    • The developed model provides a theoretical framework for predicting drop migration on curved substrates.
    • This research offers insights into controlling liquid drop movement through surface topography.