A soap solution is added to water. What happens to the surface tension?
Correct Answer: Surface tension decreases.
- Step 1: Understand what surface tension is. Surface tension is the force that makes the surface of water behave like a stretched elastic sheet.
- Step 2: Know that water molecules are attracted to each other. This attraction creates strong cohesive forces at the surface.
- Step 3: When soap is added to water, soap molecules mix with the water.
- Step 4: Soap molecules have a special structure that disrupts the attraction between water molecules.
- Step 5: Because the soap molecules interfere with the water molecules' attraction, the cohesive forces are weakened.
- Step 6: As a result, the surface tension of the water decreases.
- Surface Tension – Surface tension is the elastic tendency of a fluid surface that makes it acquire the least surface area possible.
- Effect of Surfactants – Surfactants, like soap, reduce surface tension by disrupting the cohesive forces between liquid molecules.
