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Related Concept Videos

Surface Tension, Capillary Action, and Viscosity02:57

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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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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.
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Cohesion

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Cohesion is the attraction between molecules of the same type, such as water molecules. Water molecules have an overall neutral charge but are polar molecule. An oxygen atom in one water molecule has a partial negative charge that can bind to a hydrogen atom with a partial positive charge in a second water molecule, forming a hydrogen bond. Each water molecule can form up to four hydrogen bonds with other water molecules. Hydrogen bonds are responsible for water's cohesive nature.
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Capillarity in Fluid01:19

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Capillarity describes the movement of liquid in small spaces without external forces acting on it. The capillarity is driven by surface tension and adhesive interactions between the liquid and surrounding solid surfaces. This effect is often seen in narrow tubes, porous materials, and fine particles.
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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.
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When a solid is dipped inside a liquid, the liquid surface becomes curved near the contact. For some solid–liquid interfaces, the liquid is pulled up along the solid, while for others, the liquid surface is convex or depressed near the solid surface. This phenomenon can be explained using the concept of cohesive and adhesive forces.
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Measuring the Interaction Force Between a Droplet and a Super-hydrophobic Substrate by the Optical Lever Method
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Wetting theory for small droplets on textured solid surfaces.

Donggyu Kim1, Nicola M Pugno2,3,4, Seunghwa Ryu1

  • 1Department of Mechanical Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), 291 Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea.

Scientific Reports
|November 30, 2016
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Finite droplet size significantly impacts surface wetting. New theory explains contact angles on rough surfaces for various droplet sizes, improving understanding beyond conventional infinite-droplet models.

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Area of Science:

  • Physics
  • Materials Science
  • Surface Science

Background:

  • Conventional wetting theories (Wenzel, Cassie-Baxter) assume infinite droplet size.
  • These theories struggle to explain experimental results for finite-sized droplets on rough surfaces.
  • Understanding droplet behavior on rough surfaces is crucial for material design and applications.

Purpose of the Study:

  • Develop a wetting theory applicable to a wide range of droplet sizes on rough surfaces.
  • Analyze the free energy landscape to account for finite droplet size effects.
  • Clarify the validity of conventional wetting theories and expand physical understanding.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of the free energy landscape considering local minima due to finite droplet size.
  • Development of a new wetting theory for Wenzel, Cassie-Baxter, and Penetrate modes.
  • Validation against experimental data on anisotropic rough surfaces.

Main Results:

  • The conventional theory accurately predicts contact angles for droplets ~40x larger than surface roughness scale.
  • Identified an energy barrier for pinning, explaining contact angle hysteresis.
  • Theory validated against experimental results, including anisotropic surfaces.

Conclusions:

  • Finite droplet size is a critical factor in wetting phenomena on rough surfaces.
  • The proposed theory extends wetting understanding to small liquid drops.
  • Provides a framework for predicting and controlling wetting behavior across various surface textures and droplet sizes.