Surface Tension vs. Capillary Force

[hasibme2k]

What's the difference between surface tension and capillary force?
Surface tension, a tensor, is the force per unit length. Again surface energy is the energy required to increase the surface area by one unit. Is the surface tension a capillary force?

 

[Simon Bridge]

Can you not tell one from the other?

Capillary action and surface tension are names for related but not identical phenomena.

 

[Meir Achuz]

Capillary force is one of the phenomenon due to surface tension.

 

[A.T.]

Capillary force is one of the phenomenon due to surface tension.

Capilary effects are due to both: adhesive forces to the walls, and cohesive forces within the fluid. Surface tension is just cohesion.

 

[PJC01]

Surface tension and capillary force are two different phenomena related to the properties of liquids.

Surface tension is the force per unit length that exists at the interface between two immiscible fluids, such as water and air. It is caused by the cohesive forces between the molecules of the liquid, which pull the molecules at the surface inward, creating a tension that resists external forces. Surface tension is a tensor, meaning it has both magnitude and direction, and is measured in units of force per unit length.

On the other hand, capillary force is the force that exists at the interface between a liquid and a solid, such as water and a glass tube. This force is caused by the adhesive forces between the molecules of the liquid and the solid surface, which pull the liquid upward along the surface of the solid. Capillary force is also a tensor, and is measured in units of force per unit length.

While both surface tension and capillary force are related to the intermolecular forces between molecules, they are distinct phenomena with different causes and effects. Surface tension primarily affects the behavior of liquids at the interface with another fluid, while capillary force is mainly observed in the behavior of liquids at the interface with a solid surface.