surface tension
nounDefinition of surface tension
: the attractive force exerted upon the surface molecules of a liquid by the molecules beneath that tends to draw the surface molecules into the bulk of the liquid and makes the liquid assume the shape having the least surface area
Examples of surface tension in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Factors like gravity, faucet design and a drafty kitchen may have started the dripping, but all that matters in the end is the straightforward struggle between the squeeze of surface tension and the resistance of the neck’s inertia. — Quanta Magazine, "Bubble Experiment Finds Universal Laws," 31 July 2019 But adding a little dish soap provides additional surface tension, allowing the bubbles to get trapped and creating lots of foam. — Ben Finio, Scientific American, "Make Elephant Toothpaste," 1 Aug. 2019 In a bubble that’s slowly freezing, the changes in temperature change the surface tension, too. — Knvul Sheikh, New York Times, "Watch Soap Bubbles Turn Into Tiny Snow Globes as They Freeze," 18 June 2019 The impacted segment also includes surfactants which are compounds that lower the surface tension (or interfacial tension) between two liquids, between a gas and a liquid, or between a liquid and a solid. — Marissa Luck, Houston Chronicle, "Huntsman to sell chemical intermediate business for $2 billion," 8 Aug. 2019 But dispersion is caused by its capillarity — the surface tension effect that makes some liquids rise in straws. — Quanta Magazine, "Famous Fluid Equations Are Incomplete," 21 July 2015 The apple cider vinegar tempts the flies with its stale sweetness, and the dish soap actually works to decrease the surface tension of the liquid, so the flies are immediately immersed upon investigating and can’t escape. — Natalie Schumann, Country Living, "How to Get Rid of Fruit Flies for Good," 9 May 2019 The Georgia Tech team, however, discovered that the papillae actually curve backward toward the throat, enabling them to exploit surface tension to wick up water via capillary action—the same way plants absorb water from soil. — Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, "Science says your cat’s tongue is ideally suited for grooming fur," 28 Dec. 2018 For the first, the gecko combines surface slapping and surface tension, aided by their unique hydrophobic skin that repels water, according to Nirody. — Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, "Geckos’ new superpower is running on water; now we know how they do it," 6 Dec. 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'surface tension.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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