This web page allows you to convert the different surface tension units and answers the following questions in particular: What is surface tension and how is it measured? Who first introduced the concept of surface tension and how was it measured? What are some reference values for surface tension of various liquids and solutions? How can units of surface tension be converted? What is interfacial energy and how does it influence surface tension and wetting behavior?
Surface tension is the measure of the force exerted on a liquid by the surface tension of that liquid. It is expressed in a number of different units such as dyne/cm, pascal (Pa), mN/m, N/m, or sometimes in terms of interfacial tension or capillary pressure. Surface tension is important in the study of interfacial phenomena occurring at the interface of liquids and gases or solid surfaces. It plays an important role in phenomena such as spreading, wetting, and coalescence. It also influences the hydrodynamic behavior of surfaces.
The concept of surface tension is thought to have been first introduced in the 19th century by the German scientist Rudolf Magnus, who was the first to measure the force of surface tension in water. Later, another German scientist, Max Planck, effectively measured the surface tension of liquids by measuring the capillary effect in a wide variety of liquids. The SI unit of surface tension (the J/m 2 or N/m) was introduced in 1960, followed by the mN/m unit in 1971.
The surface tension of pure water at 25°C is 72.8 mN/m or 0.0728 N/m. The surface tension of water containing 0.01 M NaCl is 56.5 mN/m or 0.0565 N/m. The surface tension of liquid nitrogen is 8.08 mN/m or 0.00808 N/m. The surface tension of glycerol is 47.8 mN/m or 0.0478 N/m. The surface tension of mercury is 447.3 mN/m or 0.4473 N/m. The surface tension of carbon tetrachloride is 19.7 mN/m or 0.0197 N/m. The surface tension of olive oil is 25.4 mN/m or 0.0254 N/m. The surface tension of surfactant solutions is 1.03 mN/m or 0.00103 N/m. The surface tension of MIL-47 (a fluorosurfactant) is 0.83 mN/m or 0.00083 N/m. The surface tension of ice is 76.5 mN/m or 0.0765 N/m
When converting between units of surface tension, the basic formula for converting between dyne/cm, pascal (Pa), mN/m, and N/m is as follows: Pascals x 10,000 = Dyne/cm, Dyne/cm ÷ 10,000 = Pascals, N/m ÷ 1000 = mN/m and mN/m x 1000 = N/m. Similarly, when converting between interfacial tension and capillary pressure units the basic formula is: cmH2O x 9.81 = atm, atm ÷ 9.81 = cmH2O, mmHg x 0.001315 = atm, atm ÷ 0.001315 = mmHg, psi x 14.696 = atm, and atm ÷ 14.696 = psi.
Interfacial energy is the energy at the interface between two liquids or between a liquid and a solid. This energy is largely responsible for the surface tension of liquids and the adhesion of liquids on solid surfaces. It can also influence the wetting behavior of surfaces and surface wettability. High interfacial energy will typically lead to high surface tension and higher adhesion, while low interfacial energy will often lead to lower surface tension and lower adhesion.