MHT CET202619 April 2026Evening ShiftPhysicsMechanical Properties of FluidsActual
In most liquids, with rise in temperature surface tension of liquid
Options
- Adecreases
- Bincreases
- Cremains unchanged
- Dfirst decreases and then increases
Correct answer
A. decreases
Step-by-step solution
Surface tension of a liquid arises due to the intermolecular cohesive forces between its molecules. As the temperature of the liquid increases, the kinetic energy of the molecules increases. This increased thermal agitation causes the intermolecular distance to increase, which in turn weakens the cohesive forces between the molecules. Due to the decrease in cohesive forces, the surface tension of the liquid decreases with a rise in temperature. At the critical temperature, the surface tension becomes zero. Answer: