Abstract
CERTAIN methods of measuring the surface tension of mercury, especially the ‘big-drop’ method as used by Popesco (Ann. de Physique, 3, p. 402; 1925), appear to show that the presence of air or other gas increases the surface tension of a freshly formed surface by about 100 dynes. The ‘drop-weight’ method, on the other hand, shows a difference of only a few dynes between the values in air and in vacuo, and this indeed in the opposite sense to that indicated above (Harkins, Jour. Am. Chem. Soc., Dec. 1920). Observations by the writers using the same mercury in order to measure its surface tension by the above as well as other methods show that the differences in the measured values of the surface tension are due to differences in the method and not to differences in the quality of mercury (Trans. Faraday Soc., May 1927).
Similar content being viewed by others
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
OLIPHANT, M., BURDON, R. Adsorption of Gases on the Surface of Mercury. Nature 120, 584–585 (1927). https://doi.org/10.1038/120584b0
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/120584b0
- Springer Nature Limited