Does pressure affect the shape of water drops according to Gibb's phase rule?

[Joe Cool]

Hello,

after I read in an exercise that the pressure inside of a spherical water drop is different than the pressure outside, I'm a little bit confused. Which is the pressure used in Gibb's phase rule and why don't the pressure change the form of the water drop?

 

[Chestermiller]

Hello,

after I read in an exercise that the pressure inside of a spherical water drop is different than the pressure outside, I'm a little bit confused. Which is the pressure used in Gibb's phase rule and why don't the pressure change the form of the water drop?

Are you familiar with the concept of surface tension?

 

[Joe Cool]

Thanks for your hint. I read about the surface tension and understand it like this: The water molecules attract each other stronger than an air molecule. So there is a force that put the volume of the water in the form that has the minimal surface. This force can balance the deforming of the drop due to the greater pressure inside the drop.