Force due to Surface Tension
If two glass plates have water between them and are separated by very small distance (see figure), it is very difficult to pull them apart. It is because the water in between forms cylindrical surface on the side that gives rise to lower pressure in the water in comparison to atmosphere. If the radius of the cylindrical surface is R and surface tension of water is T then the pressure in water between the plates is lower by:
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Answer: (b)
- Laplace excess pressure: .
- For a cylindrical surface and , so .
- The surface is concave towards air, so the water pressure is lower than atmospheric.
- The official answer is (b) .