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An Inexpensive and Accurate Tensiometer Using an Electronic Balance

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Manuel Dolz , Jesús Delegido , María-Jesús Hernández and Julio Pellicer

Departament de Termodinàmica, Facultats de Farmàcia i Fisica, Universitat de València, E-46100 Burjassot, València, Spain

J. Chem. Educ., 2001, 78 (9), p 1257

DOI: 10.1021/ed078p1257

Publication Date (Web): September 1, 2001

Section:

History, Education, and Documentation

Abstract

A method for measuring surface tension of liquid-air interfaces that consists of a modification of the du Noüy tensiometer is proposed. An electronic balance is used to determine the detachment force with high resolution and the relative displacement ring/plate-liquid surface is carried out by the descent of the liquid-free surface. The procedure familiarizes undergraduate students in applied science and technology with the experimental study of surface tension by means of a simple and accurate method that offers the advantages of sophisticated devices at considerably less cost. The operational aspects that must be taken into account are analyzed: the measuring system and determination of its effective length, measurement of the detachment force, and the relative system-liquid interface displacement rate. To check the accuracy of the proposed tensiometer, measurements of the surface tension of different known liquids have been performed, and good agreement with results reported in the literature was obtained.

Keywords (Audience):

Upper-Division Undergraduate

Keywords (Domain):

Physical Chemistry

Keywords (Pedagogy):

Hands-On Learning / Manipulatives

Keywords (Subject):

Laboratory Equipment / Apparatus

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