What happens to the surface tension of a liquid when a surfactant is added?

What happens to the surface tension of a liquid when a surfactant is added?

Step 1: Understand what surface tension is. It is the force that makes the surface of a liquid behave like a stretched elastic sheet.
Step 2: Know that liquids are made of molecules that attract each other. This attraction creates cohesive forces.
Step 3: Learn what a surfactant is. A surfactant is a substance that can reduce the surface tension of a liquid.
Step 4: When a surfactant is added to a liquid, it spreads out on the surface and interferes with the cohesive forces between the liquid molecules.
Step 5: As a result of this interference, the surface tension of the liquid decreases.

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