Question

Is surface tension a tangential force?

Answer 1

There isn’t a net downward force (or inward force, if we’re talking about a drop). If there were, the water (or other liquid) level would go down or the drop would contract, respectively. Instead, the downward or inward force is balanced by the liquid’s resistance to compression, so the net force is zero.

You can think of the cohesive force that gives rise to surface tension as a compressive force, equivalent to pressure acting on the liquid. If we reduce the cohesive force (by adding a bit of surfactant, for example), the equilibrium between the two forces is disrupted, and the liquid expands, at least locally.

The compressive cohesive force is isotropic (acting in all directions), including tangential to the surface. We call the tangential component surface tension because that’s how it manifests itself at an open surface, and that’s where we can most easily observe and measure it. But the underlying force is present throughout the bulk of the liquid.

Answer 2

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Here is your answer

Surface tension is defined as the force acting per unit length perpendicular to the line drawn on the surface of the liquid

Unit : NM^-1 or KgS-2