The property that causes water to have a concave meniscus but mercury to have a convex meniscus is ________.
A)heat of vaporization
B)sublimation
C)surface tension
D)vapor pressure
E)critical point

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The property that causes water to have a concave meniscus and mercury to have a convex meniscus is surface tension. Surface tension is responsible for the "curvature" of liquid surfaces because it results from the imbalance of cohesive and adhesive forces between the liquid and its container. This property is related to intermolecular forces between the substances. In case of water, attraction between water molecules and glass molecules in the container cause the surface to curve downward giving a concave meniscus. In the case of mercury, cohesive forces between mercury molecules are stronger than adhesive forces between mercury and glass molecules, thus causing the surface to curve upward and giving a convex meniscus.

The Property That Causes Water to Have a Concave Meniscus