2006-12-17 22:43:10 · 3 answers · asked by Johannes S 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Chemistry
The topic is about wettability, I guess. Also, as far as my knowledge goes, water does not have a high wettability or wetting.
It is not very easy to explain because we are now dealing with angles and also with surface tension. Basically, when a liquid has high surface tension would give droplet whereas a liquid with lower surface tension would give spread. Also, when the surface has high surface tension, the liquid is likely to spread. Since we are only talking about the liquid, I shall not stray too off the topic.
If the surface has high energy, it will want to be covered with a liquid because this interface will lower the liquid's energy level. Water is wet because it has a high surface tension and does likes to form droplets. Usually when we see the water on the surface, we say that the surface is wet, but more often that not, they are actually in droplet form. That is why people say water is "sticky".
Measurement of the wetting of a liquid can be done through a contact angle measurement. This measures the angle between the surface and the surface of a liquid droplet on the surface. Wettability can be defined based on the contact angle:
θ = 0° for complete wettability
0° < θ < 90° for wettable
90° < θ < 180° for non-wettable
Hope that was what you were looking for.
2006-12-17 23:21:22 · answer #1 · answered by PIPI B 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Water is wet because it is in its liquid state from 32F to 212F. Everything has a liquid solid and gas state. Even oxygen has a liquid "wet" state. However it is quite cold and if you touched it you would lose your finger.
2006-12-17 22:46:01 · answer #2 · answered by strmch8sr 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Why is silver shiny?
why is uranium radioactive?
Why is chlorine caustic?
Why do bad things happen to good people?
Why ask questions that only God could answer?
2006-12-17 22:53:38 · answer #3 · answered by chocolahoma 7 · 1⤊ 2⤋