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The Investigation of Salt Concentration in Water Varying Surface Tension of Water

Jas Mehar Cheema, IB Candidate #0009180011

Notre Dame Catholic SS, IB SL Physics

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Introduction

The cohesive forces between liquid molecules are responsible for the
phenomenon known as surface tension. It is caused by the effects of intermolecular
forces at the interface. Surface tension depends on the nature of the liquid, the
surrounding environment and temperature. Liquids where molecules have large
attractive intermolecular forces will have a large surface tension. The molecules at the
surface of of water are not surrounded by other H2O molecules and consequently they
cohere more strongly to those directly associated with them, via the right, left and below.
Due to this, although the number itself is miniscule, the surface tension of water is
significantly higher than other liquids.
A notable example of visibly seeing surface
tension is when insects walk across water. Their
body masses are too small to penetrate the
surface of the water; thus, they walk on water.
Hence, I want to explore how different salt
concentrations effect the surface tension of water.
Seeing as table salt (NaCl) and water (H2O)
create strong intermolecular bonds with each
other, will the surface tension of the water
increase, as salt concentration is increased?
I have an interest in this topic because of its relation to chemistry and
intermolecular bonding. In addition, the physics aspect of the project, which would come
into play during the building of the balance beam, is interesting to me.
I hypothesize that as the concentration of salt increases, the surface tension of
the water will also increase. I think this because water molecules (H2O) will attach to
the salt molecules (NaCl) due to their ionic nature. This will create strong intermolecular
bonds between the two, and because surface tension is dependent on intermolecular
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bonds, stronger bonds will increase the surface tension, as more salt is added, and
more bonds are made.
The independent variable is the salt added to the container, measured in
grams. The most amount of salt added was 21.303 grams.
The dependent variable is the surface tension of the water, in Newton per metre
as it varied according to the salt concentration. The surface tension was measured
using a balance beam.
The controlled variables include the amount of salt being added to the water,
measured in grams. In addition, the amount of water in the container, measured in
millilitres, which stayed constant through all five salt additions, and the temperature of
the water in the container, measured in degrees Celsius, which also stayed constant to
allow for optimal dissolution of the salt.
Safety Concerns
In this procedure there were no major safety concerns. There was no heating, or
any sharp tools being used to account for.
Materials

 Balance beam
 Aluminum foil
 Thread
 Pins or paper clips
 Object to equate balance beam (e.g. clay, book, small weight)
 Container or bowl
 Weighing scale
 Ruler
 Table salt (NaCl)
 Water (from tap in physics lab) (H2O)
The balance beam was constructed with
compressed cardboard, with a 6-inch
screw used to fasten the fulcrum in place,
which was also made of compressed
cardboard. The centre beam was held
between 2 textbooks, acting as a base.
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The aluminum dish and safety pin were suspended using common sewing
thread.
Safety pins were used as weights in this experiment, due to the efficiency of
using them. It was recommended to use a weight which could provide more
specificity, such as using loose salt or sugar, but doing so would be much more
time constraining, as the loose salt would need to be weighed on a zeroed scale
every time the safety pin procedure was conducted. Hence, using an easily
portable object, such as safety pins, was more suitable.

Procedure

Before beginning the experiment, the aluminum dish was attached to the fulcrum, via a
thread. To counterbalance the opposing side, a small piece of clay was added to
opposite side of the fulcrum. On the opposite side of the beam, the container was filled
with approximately 400 millilitres of tap water, at room temperature (25 degrees
Celsius). From the opposite side of the fulcrum, a
safety pin was suspended (weighing 0.21 grams) via a
thread. The safety pin was suspended to just hover
atop the surface of the water, insuring not to submerge
into the water. Safety pins (identical to the safety pin
atop the water) were then added into the suspended
aluminum dish, one at a time, to determine how much
mass is required to lift the opposite safety pin from the
surface of the water. This mass is then used to
Figure 2: Diagram depicting how experiment
determine the force of gravity (Fg) acting upon the should be carried out.
safety pin, measured in Newtons per kilogram.

Fg = Mg

Wherein, Fg is the force of gravity acting upon the safety pin, measured in Newtons per
kilogram, M is the mass that was required to lift the opposing safety pin, measured in
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gram then converted to kilograms, and g is the force of gravitational attraction on a

mass of 1 kg on the Earth, 9.8 Newtons.

Once the force is determined, it used to determine the surface tension of the water.

F =2sd

Wherein, F if the force gravity calculated previously, s is the surface tension, measured
in Newtons per metre, and d is the length of the safety pin, measured in centimetres
and converted to metres, 0.025 metres.

s = F/2d

The formula is adjusted to isolate for s, surface tension, measured in Newtons per
metre.

After determining the surface tension, 4 grams of salt is added and dissolved in the
water. The process is then repeated to find the new surface tension, proportionate to the
new salt concentration of the water. The process is carried on until a total of 20 grams of
salt has been added, in increments of 4 grams each.

Uncertainties

The postal scale used to determine the mass of an individual safety pin, and the amount
of salt added, has an uncertainty of +/- 0.02 grams. The ruler used to measure the
length of the safety pin has an uncertainty of 1 millimetre. The uncertainty on the beaker
which contained the water had an uncertainty of +/- 1 millilitre, due to the meniscus.

Raw Data

The raw data recorded how much mass was required to lift the safety pin from the
water, by adding 0.21-gram safety pins to the aluminum dish on the counteracting side,
one at a time. Once the mass values were acquired, the values were used to find the
force of gravity acting upon the safety pin, which was then used to find the surface
tension of water.
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Table 1: The relation between mass required to lift a 0.21-gram safety pin from water, and the
concentration of salt in said water.

Amount of Trial 1: Trial 2: Trial 3: Trial 4: Trial 5:

salt in Mass Mass Mass Mass Mass
water required to required to required to required to required to
(grams) lift safety pin lift safety pin lift safety pin lift safety pin lift safety
(+/- 0.02 from water from water from water from water pin from
grams) (grams) (grams) (grams) (grams) water
(+/-0.02 (+/-0.02 (+/-0.02 (+/-0.02 (grams)
grams) grams) grams) grams) (+/-0.02
grams)

0 0.84 0.63 0.63 0.63 0.84

4 0.84 0.84 0.84 0.63 0.84

8 1.05 1.05 0.84 1.05 1.05

12 1.26 1.26 1.05 1.05 1.26

16 1.26 1.26 1.26 1.26 1.26

20 1.26 1.47 1.26 1.26 1.47

Amount of Trial 1: Trial 2: Trial 3: Trial 4: Trial 5: Average

salt in Surface Surface Surface Surface Surface surface
water tension of tension of tension of tension of tension of tension in
(grams) water in water in water in water in water in Newtons
(+/- 0.02 Newtons Newtons Newtons Newtons Newtons per meter
grams) per meter per meter per meter per meter per meter
0 1.6 x 10-1 1.2 x 10-1 1.2 x 10-1 1.2 x 10-1 1.6 x 10-1 1.4 x 10-1
4 1.6 x 10-1 1.6 x 10-1 1.6 x 10-1 1.2 x 10-1 1.6 x 10-1 1.5 x 10-1
8 2.0 x 10-1 2.0 x 10-1 1.6 x 10-1 2.0 x 10-1 2.0 x 10-1 1.9 x 10-1
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12 2.5 x 10-1 2.5 x 10-1 2.0 x 10-1 2.0 x 10-1 2.5 x 10-1 2.3 x 10-1
16 2.5 x 10-1 2.5 x 10-1 2.5 x 10-1 2.5 x 10-1 2.5 x 10-1 2.5 x 10-1
20 2.5 x 10-1 2.9 x 10-1 2.5 x 10-1 2.5 x 10-1 2.9 x 10-1 2.6 x 10-1
Processed Data

The processed data is recorded in the table below, depicting the different salt
concentrations and the respective surface tensions found, from Trial 1 to Trial 5, with the
averages of the surface tension values, which will be used to construct a graph.

Table 2: Shows the salt concentrations of water and the surface tension found by using the equation
F=2sd.

Sample Calculation: Determine surface tension of water with a salt concentration

of 4 grams during Trial 1

Fg = Mg

Fg = (0.00084 kg) (9.8 Newtons)

Fg = 0.008232 Nkg-1

Fg = 8.2 x 10-3 Nkg-1

s = F/2d

s = (8.2 x 10-3Nkg-1) /2(0.025 metres)

s = 0.16464 Nm-1

s = 1.6 x 10-1 Nm-1

To analyze data in a graph, an average value for surface tension is required.

Sample Calculation: Determine average surface tension of water with a salt

concentration of 4 grams, from Trial 1 to Trial 5

= (1.6 x10-1+1.6 x10-1+ 1.6 x10-1+1.2 x 10-1+ 1.6 x 10-1) / 5

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= 0.156408 Nm-1

= 1.5 x 10-1 Nm-1

Relationship between salt concentration of water and surface tension of water

Surface Tension of water (newtons per metre)

0.3

0.25

0.2

0.15

0.1

0.05

0
0 4 8 12 16 20

Concentration of salt in water (grams)

Figure 3 Graph depicts a positive linear relationship between salt concentration and surface tension

Excel was used to create the graph, which includes a line connecting the specific data
points and a general trendline, to display the relationship between the salt
concentrations and surface tension. The trend is somewhat linear in the positive, with
the trendline proving so. This suggests, as the concentration of salt increases, so does
surface tension, as stated in my hypothesis. Although the increases in surface tension
are miniscule due to water generally having a low surface tension, there is still a
somewhat constant increase, as salt concentration increases. However, for optimal
analysis, the uncertainty on surface tension directly should be brought into
consideration. Along with the equation and R 2 value.

Sample Calculation: Uncertainty for Surface Tension when salt concentration is 4

grams in Trial 1
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ΔF/F= ΔM/M + Δg/g

ΔF/0.008232= (0.02/0.84) + (0.1/9.8)

ΔF= 0.00028 Nkg-1

ΔF= 2.8 x 10-4 Nkg-1

Δs/s = Δd/d + ΔF/F

Δs/0.16464= (0.1/2.5) + (0.00028/0.008323)

Δs= 0.0121856 Nm-1

Δs= 1.2 x 10-2 Nm-1

Knowing these uncertainties, a more accurate graph can now be plotted.

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Relationship between salt concentration of water and surface tension of water

0.3
Surface Tension of water (newtons per metre)

f(x) = 0.03 x + 0.11

0.25 R² = 0.97

0.2

0.15

0.1

0.05

0
0 4 8 12 16 20

Concentration of salt in water (grams)

The graph does in fact show an uncertainty of approximately 1.2 x 10 -2 Nm-1, as

calculated above, through Excel’s calculation of the standard error. It also shows that
the m or the slope is 0.0263 Nm- and the b, or the y-intercept is at 0.1137 Nm -1.
According to Excel’s “LINEST” feature, the standard error of the slope of the line is
0.000539 Nm-1. That is an error of approximately 2%. In addition, the standard error on
the y-intercept, or b value, is at 0.006527 Nm -1. The R2 value, or relationship to the
trendline is 0.9736. Considering that the R 2 value would need to 1.0 for the data points
to be fully aligned with the trendline, the R 2 value proves that the data trend is very
similar to the general trendline, further accentuating the linear relationship.
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Conclusion

From the figures and the data analysis, it is apparent that there is a positive linear
relationship between salt concentration in water and the surface tension of water. Due
to salt’s ionic nature, which creates strong intermolecular bonds with water, thus
increasing the surface tension, as surface tension is dependent on intermolecular
bonds. Hence, when the water contained 20 grams of salt, its surface tension was at a
peak.

Although the water was always obtained from the same tap for each trial, the
temperature of the water varied slightly between trials, and variation which could be
controlled if the water was adjusted to be the same temperature each trial. In addition,
towards the end of the experiment, when the water contained between 16-20 grams of
salt, the salt would not completely dissolve, after vigorous stirring. This could be
avoided by increasing the amount of water used, thus calling for a larger container,
however, due to the delicate nature of the experiment, a larger container would hinder
the determination of the mass required to lift the safety pin. Also, due to time
constraints, complete dissolution of the salt was difficult to achieve in room temperature
water as it would require a certain time of stirring the liquid, to insure all the salt was
dissolved. Additionally, to further increase the accuracy of my results, I would perhaps
use a stronger material for the balance beam, or at least provide a solid base.