EXPERIMENT 7

STUDY OF VARIATION OF
SURFACE TENSION WITH
THE CONCENTRATION OF
A DETERGENT
Structure
7.1 Introduction 7.5 Observations
Expected learning outcomes 7.6 Calculations
7.2 Principle 7.7 Result
7.3 Requirements
7.4 Procedure

7.1 INTRODUCTION
In Experiment 6, you determined the surface tension of a liquid or a dilute
solution given to you. In this experiment, you will be determining the surface
tension of detergent solutions of different concentrations and study the change
in surface tension with the change in concentration of the detergent.

Expected Learning Outcomes

After performing this experiment, you will able to:

 determine the surface tension of different detergent solutions having

different concentrations.

7.2 PRINCIPLE

The basic principle of this experiment is similar to that of experiment 6.

Here, we will be determining the surface tension of detergent solutions having

different concentrations and study the effect of change in concentration on the
surface tension.

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 From equation 6.8, you know that,

γ1 (V/n1 )  d1  g d1 /n1 n2 d1
  
γ2 (V/n2 )  d 2  g d 2 /n2 n1 /n2

where,  1 and  2 are the surface tensions of two individual liquids, and d1 and
d2 are their densities, respectively.

Thus, for the determination of surface tension of any liquid, the number of
drops produced from equal volume of two liquids and their densities must be
known, in addition to the surface tension of the reference liquid (e.g. water).

7.3 REQUIREMENTS
Traube’s Stalagmometer 1

Weighing bottle/Specific gravity bottle 1

Rubber stopper 1

Rubber tube (small piece) 1

Pinch cock 1

Clamp stand 1

1
Thermometer (110 )  degree 1
10

Large beaker or glass trough 1

In addition, you will be using with detergent solutions of different

concentrations and a bottle of distilled water.

7.4 PROCEDURE
Before starting the experiment, the stalagmometer should be cleaned by
Chromic acid is
chromic acid solution to remove oil, grease etc. sticking on the inner capillary
prepared by
dissolving potassium surface and then washed with distilled water and finally with acetone or
dichromate (K2Cr2O7) alcohol, and dried by passing air.
in conc. H2SO4.
1. Attach a small rubber tubing with a screw pinch cock to the upper end of
the stalagmometer.

2. Fix the stalagmometer on a stand with the help of a clamp. Place a beaker
containing water below the stalagmometer as shown in Fig. 7.1 a).

3. Fill it with distilled water by sucking it little above the mark A. Close the
pinch cock and insert the stalagmometer into the beaker, see Fig. 7.1 b).

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 a) b) c)

Fig. 7.1: Apparatus for the determination of surface tension.

4. Then, open the pinch cock gently such that the detergent solution flows out
slowly.

5. Adjust the air inflow so that the number of drops formed should not exceed
15 drops per minute, see Fig. 7.1 c).

6. Count the number of drops obtained when a fixed volume of water flows Specific gravity is a
between the marks A and B, i.e., count the number of drops when the term sometimes used
water level reaches from A to B. in place of density.
Specific Gravity is the
7. Refill the stalagmometer and repeat the counting of drops thrice, and ratio of density of a
record it in the observation Table 7.2. substance to that of
water. Since it is a
8. Now remove the stalagmometer from the beaker, wash it thoroughly and ratio of two densities,
dry it. it is expressed without
units.
9. Fill it with given detergent solution (e.g. S1) and reset the stalagmometer in
Specific Gravity =
the weighing bottle. Count the number of drops fallen for the same volume 3)
density of solution (in kg dm
of the liquid/ given dilute solution between the marks A and B. density of water (in kg dm
3)

Repeat the counting process thrice and record the observations in the
observation table.
The density of water is
̵ 3
10. Now dilute the given detergent solution to different concentrations and 1 kg dm ; therefore,
repeat the above procedure for all diluted detergent solutions ¼S1, S3, S4 specific gravity of a
etc.½ and note your observations in the table. liquid or solution is its
density expressed
While doing the experiment, the following precautions should be taken. without units.

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 Precautions
• The stalagmometer should be cleaned and dried before use.

• While sucking the liquid into the stalagmometer, no air bubble should be
formed.

• Stalagmometer should be held in a vertical position throughout the drop

counting process.

• Drop formation should be adjusted at a slower rate and should not exceed
fifteen drops per minute.

You can record your observations in the space given below.

7.5 OBSERVATIONS
Temperature, t = ……………………. oC
-
Density of water at t 0C = dw =…………. kg dm 3
-
Surface tension of water at t 0C =  w =………….. N m 1

(use  w from Table 6.3 of previous experiment)

Table 6.2

Number of drops formed equal volume of detergent solutions

(between marks A and B)

Detergent solutions

Sr. no. Water S1 S2 S3 S4

i ….. ….. ….. ….. …..

ii ….. ….. ….. ….. …..
iii ….. ….. ….. ….. …..

Average ….. ….. ….. ….. …..

nw1 ns1 ns 2 ns 3 ns 4

Mass of empty specific gravity bottle  w1  ...............g

Mass of specific gravity bottle +detergent solution  w2  ...............g

Mass of specific gravity bottle + Water  w3  ...............g

The calculations to be done are also explained below:

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7.6 CALCULATIONS
Density of the solution 1 =
Mass of the detergent solution S1
d S1   density of water
Mass of water
From the following steps,
w  w1 you can verify the
d S1  2  dw
w3  w1 relationship between the
density of a liquid and

d d
n
S  density of water as given by
Relative surface tension of the detergent solution (s1)  s1 w
1
 specific gravity
w w  ns1 measurement.
Specific gravity of a detergent solution
Absolute surface tension of the detergent solution (s1)
Density of a detergent solution

d s1  nw 1 Density of water
 γ S1  γw   ........N m

M
a
s
s
o
f

/
V
o
l
u
m
e
o
f
d w  ns1 detergentsolution detergentsolution

M
a
s
s
o
f
w
a
t
e
r
/
s
a
m
e
V
o
l
u
m
e
o
f
w
a
t
e
r

( )

Likewise repeat the determination of density and calculations of surface 

Mass of detergent solution
tension for detergent solutions and get γS 2 ,γS 3 ....... etc. Mass of water

The surface tension of water γw at different temperatures is given again in Since we use same specific
gravity bottle for measuring
Table 7.2 for your reference.
the masses of water and
Table 7.2: Surface Tension of water at different temperatures
liquid, volume is same in
both the cases.
Temperature/0C Surface Tension
(103 γ / N m-1) Hence, Density of a detergent

solution
M
a
s
s
o
f

D
e
n
s
i
t
y
o
f
w
a
t
e
r
0 75.83 detergent solution
M
a
s
s
o
f
w
a
t
e
r
 

5 75.09
This relationship holds only if
10 74.36
masses of water and liquid
15 73.62
are measured using same
20 72.88 specific gravity bottle.
21 72.73

22 72.58

23 72.43

24 72.29

25 72.14

26 71.99

27 71.84

28 71.69

29 71.55

30 71.70
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 35 70.66

40 69.92

45 69.18

50 68.45

55 67.71

60 66.97

100 61.80

The result obtained can be reported as shown below:

7.7 RESULT
i) The absolute surface tension of the detergent solutions (S1, S2, S3 S4) at
temperature …. 0C are as follows:
s1

 = ……….. N m-1
s2

 = ……….. N m-1
s3

 = ……….. N m-1
s4

 = ……….. N m-1

s1

s2

s3

s4
ii) Plot a graph between surface tensions     and
, , ,
concentration values for different concentrations (c1, c2, c3, c4). Discuss
this graph with you counsellor and find the possible reasons for the
variation of surface tension with concentration of the detergent
solution.

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