Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 28, 2026

Measuring the Interaction Force Between a Droplet and a Super-hydrophobic Substrate by the Optical Lever Method
Published on: June 14, 2019
Interfacial dynamics and adhesion behaviors of water and oil droplets in confined geometry
Xiang Liu1, Dan Guo, Shuhai Liu
1State Key Laboratory of Tribology, Tsinghua University , Beijing 100084, China.
Abstract:
To simulate the interfacial behaviors in real heterogeneous systems, the point contact condition is constructed to study the classical immiscible displacement problem in this work. Specifically, the interfacial dynamics during the water droplet passing through the oil capillary bridge formed under the point contact condition is investigated. Emphasis is put on the influences of the wettabilities and the relative separation motion of the solid surfaces on the dynamic behavior of the droplets. The observations suggested that the capillary pressure had negligible effect on the movement of the water droplet when it was passing though the oil capillary bridge. The wettability and the relative separation of the disk and ball would influence the final adhesion behaviors of the water droplet after the droplet passed through the oil capillary bridge. Surface tension and adhesion energy were used to interpret these observations.
Related Concept Videos
Surface Tension, Capillary Action, and Viscosity
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...
Surface Tension of Fluid
Surface tension varies...
Adhesion
Capillary action is a result of water’s adhesive tendencies. When a narrow...
Cohesion
On a...
Theories of Dissolution: The Danckwerts' Model and Interfacial Barrier Model
Surface Tension and Surface Energy
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,...

