Question

Which molecules of a liquid has a higher potential energy ?

Answer 1

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Molecules at the surface feel an inward force due to strong cohesive forces then those inside the liquid because the inside molecules are surrounded by similar molecules, cohesive force acts in all directions making the net force on a single molecule equal to zero. But this is not the case with surface molecules, these molecules feels inward force, hence less stable i.e. have higher potential energy.