Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Excess Pressure Inside a Drop and a Bubble01:13

Excess Pressure Inside a Drop and a Bubble

3.9K
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.
3.9K
Surface Tension and Surface Energy01:16

Surface Tension and Surface Energy

3.6K
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,...
3.6K
Surface Tension of Fluid01:22

Surface Tension of Fluid

2.1K
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...
2.1K
Surface Tension, Capillary Action, and Viscosity02:57

Surface Tension, Capillary Action, and Viscosity

34.8K
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...
34.8K
Colloids03:22

Colloids

22.2K
Children at play often make suspensions such as mixtures of mud and water, flour and water, or a suspension of solid pigments in water known as tempera paint. These suspensions are heterogeneous mixtures composed of relatively large particles that are visible to the naked eye or can be seen with a magnifying glass. They are cloudy, and the suspended particles settle out after mixing. On the other hand, a solution is a homogeneous mixture in which no settling occurs and in which the dissolved...
22.2K
Rise of Liquid in a Capillary Tube01:18

Rise of Liquid in a Capillary Tube

3.5K
When very thin cylindrical tubes, called capillaries, are dipped in a liquid, the liquid rises or falls in the tube compared to the surrounding liquid. This phenomenon is called capillary action. Capillary action occurs due to the combination of two opposing forces: the cohesive forces of the liquid, which cause it to stick to itself and form a rounded shape, and the adhesive forces between the liquid and the walls of the container, which cause the liquid to be attracted to the container walls.
3.5K

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Deformation of soap bubbles in uniform magnetic fields.

Soft matter·2023
Same author

Locally induced laminar convection in liquid nitrogen and silicone oils.

The European physical journal. E, Soft matter·2016
Same author

Rotation of melting ice disks due to melt fluid flow.

Physical review. E·2016
Same author

Resonant and antiresonant bouncing droplets.

Physical review. E, Statistical, nonlinear, and soft matter physics·2015
Same author

Faraday instability at foam-water interface.

Physical review. E, Statistical, nonlinear, and soft matter physics·2013
Same author

Single thermal plume in locally heated vertical soap films.

Physical review. E, Statistical, nonlinear, and soft matter physics·2011

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Apr 17, 2026

Accurate Determination of the Equilibrium Surface Tension Values with Area Perturbation Tests
07:57

Accurate Determination of the Equilibrium Surface Tension Values with Area Perturbation Tests

Published on: August 30, 2019

7.9K

Surface tension profiles in vertical soap films.

N Adami1, H Caps1

  • 1GRASP, Département de Physique B5, Université de Liège, B4000 Liège, Belgium.

Physical Review. E, Statistical, Nonlinear, and Soft Matter Physics
|February 14, 2015
PubMed
Summary

Investigating surface tension in vertical soap films using elastic objects revealed a predictable profile. This finding aligns with mechanical equilibrium models and thickness measurements.

Area of Science:

  • Physics
  • Materials Science

Background:

  • Vertical soap films exhibit complex surface tension gradients.
  • Understanding these gradients is crucial for fluid dynamics and material science.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To experimentally determine surface tension profiles in vertical soap films.
  • To validate a predictive model for surface tension based on film mechanics.

Main Methods:

  • Introducing deformable elastic objects into vertical soap films.
  • Analyzing object deformation to infer local surface tension.
  • Numerically solving elasticity equations to link object shape to surface tension.
  • Correlating surface tension with film thickness measurements.

Main Results:

More Related Videos

Microtensiometer for Confocal Microscopy Visualization of Dynamic Interfaces
08:05

Microtensiometer for Confocal Microscopy Visualization of Dynamic Interfaces

Published on: September 9, 2022

3.0K
Extraction and Characterization of Surfactants from Atmospheric Aerosols
09:34

Extraction and Characterization of Surfactants from Atmospheric Aerosols

Published on: April 21, 2017

17.5K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Apr 17, 2026

Accurate Determination of the Equilibrium Surface Tension Values with Area Perturbation Tests
07:57

Accurate Determination of the Equilibrium Surface Tension Values with Area Perturbation Tests

Published on: August 30, 2019

7.9K
Microtensiometer for Confocal Microscopy Visualization of Dynamic Interfaces
08:05

Microtensiometer for Confocal Microscopy Visualization of Dynamic Interfaces

Published on: September 9, 2022

3.0K
Extraction and Characterization of Surfactants from Atmospheric Aerosols
09:34

Extraction and Characterization of Surfactants from Atmospheric Aerosols

Published on: April 21, 2017

17.5K
  • Surface tension varies predictably with vertical position in soap films.
  • Experimental data matches predictions from a mechanical equilibrium model.
  • The model incorporates film thickness, enhancing accuracy.

Conclusions:

  • The study successfully mapped surface tension profiles in vertical soap films.
  • A simplified mechanical model accurately predicts surface tension distribution.
  • This method offers a novel approach for characterizing interfacial tension in thin films.