Question

Obtain the relation between surface energy and surface tension.

Hint:

Surface energy is related to the force acting along the surface of a liquid, and it depends on both the surface area and the surface tension.

Answer 1

Step 1: Definition of Surface Energy.
Surface energy is defined as the energy required to increase the surface area of a liquid by unit area. The surface energy is directly related to the force per unit length acting at the surface, known as surface tension.
Step 2: Surface Tension and Energy.
Surface tension \( T \) is the force per unit length acting along the surface. To increase the surface area, work is done to overcome the force of surface tension. The work done to increase the surface area by \( A \) is given by: \[ E = T \times A \] where \( A \) is the surface area.
Step 3: Conclusion.
Thus, the surface energy is the product of surface tension and the surface area.