Why is liquid surface not inclined?

Answer 1

Actually the oceans do have topography. They influence currents and whatnot.
http://sealevel.jpl.nasa.gov/index.html

Maybe answering your question better...gravity pulls on liquids evenly and air pressure plays a part too. When there is a slope to a liquid surface (say a glass), the highest part of the liquid experiences a horizontal pressure gradient because of the liquid being at the same vertical position as the air. This pressure gradient (air weighs less than liquid) causes the liquid to rush downhill.

Answer 2

The intermolecular force in a liquid is not strong enough to hold a mass of liquid in an inclined plane against the force of gravity.

I guess if gravity was not there - as in outer space - it may be possible to have liquid in an inclination ( inclined to what though?).

Another interesting case is if you take a glass slide and a very thin film of liquid ( preferably viscous liquid ) on the glass side, then you can help liquid in an inclined plane ( against gravity ) - this is because, the surface tension helps the film stay inclined if the film is thin.

Talking about glass, glass is a form of super cooled liquid -- so yes, you can have liquid surface inclined after all , in these very special cases.

Thanks for the question -- made me think ....

Answer 3

becouse of pressure
when the surface of the liquid is inclined, that means there is a place on this surface that is higher than another place on the same surface (from the button of the container that contains the liquid)
so according to pressure, there is a place that have a higher pressure than another place in the same liquid

Law: Pressure of liquid = atmospheric pressure + (density of liquid*gravity acceleration*hight of the liqiud from the button to the surface)

so becouse of the change in hight between the two places (i mentioned above), pressure moves from high pressure to low pressure for reaching equilibrium, so the liquid moves from the higher hight to the lower hight for equilizing the pressure

if u understood what i said above, u will know that the liquid surface must be STRAIGHT BUT NOT INCLINED

i hope u got ur point from my explanation

Answer 4

Because that would put a part of the surface at a different gravitational potential. Actually, near a mountain, the potential does vary a bit with position (as well as with the distance to the center of the earth), so a lake there can have a slight tilt. This effect is now being measured over the oceans by satellites, to collect data about undersea structures of unusual mass.

Answer 5

Because water always seeks its lowest level. Therefore a liquid would do the same.

Answer 6

As the coherent forces between water particles is much weaker than gravitational force ,the particles have relative motion in between them providing fluidity.Hence it can't be inclined until it be solidified.RIGHT ANS ,ISN'T IT?

Answer 7

then there will be floods on one side and drought in the other side