Question

i) Define surface energy​

Answer 1

• Surface energy will be outlined because the energy needed per unit space to extend the dimensions of the surface, and per se is usually quoted in units of mN/m.
• Surface energy is that the excess energy exhibited by the liquid molecules on the surface compared to those within the liquid.
• This means liquid molecules at the surface have larger energy as compared to molecules within it.
• As we know that the SI unit of surface energy is Joules/m2 or Newton/meter(N/m).
• If the surface is a smaller amount then the liquid surface can exert high surface energy (Ex: metals, Oxides, Ceramics).

Answer 2

The breakdown of intermolecular interactions that happens when a surface is generated is measured by surface free energy, also known as interfacial free energy or surface energy. Surfaces must be fundamentally less energetically advantageous than the bulk of a material in solids physics (the molecules on the surface have more energy than the molecules in the bulk of the substance), otherwise there would be a driving force for surfaces to form, eliminating the bulk of the material (see sublimation).

As a result, surface energy may be described as the extra energy at a material's surface relative to the bulk, or as the effort necessary to construct a specific surface area. Another approach to think about surface energy is to think about how much labour it takes to cut a bulk sample into two surfaces. As a result of the now-incomplete, unfulfilled connection at the two surfaces, there is "excess energy."