What are some everyday applications of surface tension?

Question

and/or what is good about surface tension

Answer 1

With surface tension and a little bit of soap or other chemical added to help stablize the bubbles, we can make foam.

Examples of applications of foam products:

1. To extingush gasoline and oil fires the fire department will spread this over a fire and it remains on top of the substance robbing it of oxygen thus putting out the flames. Airplanes that have mechanical problems with their landing gear often use a foam spread on the runway to prevent ignition of the av-fuel/ jet fuel

2. This surface tension is used to make whipping cream in cooking. ... also merangue.

3. Insulating foams also can be shot into confined spaces and then expand filling the cavity with foam. When hardens gives an excellent R-value per inch.

4. Structural styrofoam for boyancy, surfboards, boogie boards. All of these rely on surface tension to maintain their structure in the curing process and use cycle. We use it in making the latest breed of airplane construction. Shape it and cover with kevlar, the resulting structure is stronger than steel.

These are a few examples of its practical use of surface tension.

Answer 2

Practical Applications Of Surface Tension

Answer 3

Without water's surface tension, ducks and geese would not be able to swim.
In fact if you add a surfactant to the water (like a detergent), the oil in their feathers would dissolve and these birds would sink and drown.

Answer 4

Every time you wash your hands with soap, you are using a reduction in surface tension to spread the soapy liquid over your hands.

Answer 5

Surface tension is important because we wouldn't float on water otherwise, and nor would anything else.

Answer 6

Water bugs would drown without it.
Salad dressing just wouldn't be the same.

http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/surten.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surface_tension

Answer 7

For lubrication

Answer 8

jacket making