Why a small drop of mercury is spherical but bigger drops are oval in shape?

In a small drop, the force due to surface tension is very large as compared to its weight and hence it is spherical in shape. A big drop becomes oval in shape due to its large weight. The surface tension of liquid decreases with increase of temperature.

Why the shape of mercury on glass is spherical and water on glass is flat?

The molecules in the bulk of mercury are pulled equally in all directions by the neighboring molecules. But the surface molecules do not have molecules on all sides. Hence they are pulled inwards causing the liquid to shrink to form a surface with minimum area, a sphere. Hence mercury droplets are spherical.

Why does mercury have a spherical shape everywhere?

Ans: Due to surface tension. Surface tension is the property of liquid due to which it tries to aquire minimum surface area. Since, for a given volume sphere has a minimum surface area, a mercury droplet is spherical.

Why small drops of liquids are assuming spherical shape and when we add more drops over the first one it flattens?

The free surface of a liquid drop tries to acquire a spherical shape because a drop always tends to acquire minimum surface area for least surface tension. Since, for a particular volume a sphere has the least possible surface area, therefore, the drops of liquid tend to assume spherical shapes.

Why does mercury drop on glass droplet?

Mercury does not wet glass – the cohesive forces within the drops are stronger than the adhesive forces between the drops and glass. When liquid mercury is confined in a tube, its surface (meniscus) has a convex shape because the cohesive forces in liquid mercury tend to draw it into a drop.

Is mercury a spherical?

Mercury and Venus are the roundest of all. They are nearly perfect spheres, like marbles. But some planets aren’t quite so perfectly round. When something spins, like a planet as it rotates, things on the outer edge have to move faster than things on the inside to keep up.

Why does mercury drop on glass droplets?

surface tension, yes thats the effect of surface tension when a liquid forms spherical droplet but here we can say that the cohesion in mercury molecules is more than adhesion with glass while on contrary water have more adhesion with glass surface than cohesion in molecules of water, due to this the mercury form a …

Why a small liquid drop is spherical shape?

Surface tension is responsible for the shape of liquid droplets. The inward forces on the surface molecules of a liquid drop tend to cause the surface to volume ratio as small as possible. Since surface to volume ratio is minimum for the spherical shape a liquid drop is spherical.

Why the drop of a liquid takes the spherical shape?

Raindrops take up the spherical shape due to the surface tension of water which is caused due to the tendency of water molecules to stick together. The spherical shape is having the least possible surface area due to which it can resist any of the external force in the atmosphere.

Why is the meniscus of mercury curved upwards?

When liquid water is confined in a tube, its surface (meniscus) has a concave shape because water wets the surface and creeps up the side. When liquid mercury is confined in a tube, its surface (meniscus) has a convex shape because the cohesive forces in liquid mercury tend to draw it into a drop.

What spherical object is mercury?

Mercury is one of only three planets in our solar system which has a perfect circular sphere (the other two being Venus and Pluto).

Why are small drops of mercury spherical and large ones oval?

So, small drops of mercury are spherical and bigger drops are oval in shape. in two words answer is Surface Tension and gravity. liquid drops are spherical because of surface tension. it is the force with which atoms/molecules on the surface of liquid pull each other towards themselves.

Why are liquid droplets spherical in shape?

Liquid drops are spherical in shape because liquids have the tendency to have minimum surface area due to surface tension and out of all possible shapes, sphere has minimum surface area. Why is mercury droplet spherical? Due to surface tension mercury tries to acquire the minimum surface area which is minimum for sphere.

What is the shape of the free surface of a drop?

The free surface of a liquid drop tries to acquire a spherical shape because a drop always tends to acquire minimum surface area for least surface tension. For example –The small droplets of mercury on a grass surface is almost spherical, whereas the larger droplets get a little flattened due to the effects of gravity.

Why does Mercury have a higher surface tension than water?

Mercury has a high surface tension, which restrains it to a spherical shape. Water has a much lower surface tension, and it spreads all over a glass surface that is even slightly dirty. The surface tension of the glass is involved.