Why is it that the greater the surface tension, the less likely an object is to crack?
Thread Content
Why is it that the greater the surface tension, the less likely an object is to crack?
In simple terms, surface tension is the force that causes a liquid surface to contract; the greater the surface tension, the stronger this contracting force, and thus it becomes more difficult for the liquid to spread across the surface. The surface tension of a solid is called surface energy; since solids show little deformation, it is generally manifested in changes in liquids. You can think of tension as the pulling force between two liquids and a solid; the side with greater tension will deform in that direction. Of course, it can generally be understood in this simple way; in reality, surface tension can be further divided into a polar component and a dispersive component, which makes things more complex.