When a nonpolar liquid displays a convex meniscus, which of the following explains this behavior? A) It has a low surface tension, and therefore clings to the glass. B) The cohesive forces are stronger than the adhesive forces to the glass. C) The adhesive forces to the glass are stronger than the cohesive forces. D) The liquid's viscosity is low. E) None of these.

B

Explanation:

The cohesive and adhesive forces are terms that are used to explain the phenomena that lead up to the formation of a meniscus when a liquid is poured into a capillary tube.

The cohesive forces are those forces that exist between the molecules of the liquid. They are essentially the intramolecular forces that exist in between the molecules of the liquid.

The adhesive forces are the intermolecular forces that occur between molecules of the liquid and the molecules of the material used to make the container.

Let's use the pouring of a non polar liquid such as mercury into a capillary tube. It would be noted that the shape of the surface of the mercury shows a convex meniscus. This is because the cohesive forces between mercury molecules is greater than the adhesive forces between glass and mercury molecules.

Hence, what we're driving at is that the shape the meniscus of the surface of the liquid takes depend on the balance between the cohesive and the adhesive forces.