After placing a liquid into a small-diameter glass tube, you observe the formation of a convex (upwardly curved) meniscus. What conclusion is correct?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

When the liquid is water, the meniscus is concave because the water molecules at the surface adhere to the glass more strongly than they cohere to each other. In contrast, a mercury meniscus is convex. In this case, the cohesive forces pulling together the mercury atoms exceed the adhesive forces trying to attract the mercury to the glass.

After Placing a Liquid into a Small-Diameter Glass Tube, You