Why is mercury curved upward?

Answer 1

The meniscus (plural: menisci, from the Greek for "crescent") is the curve in the upper surface of a liquid to the surface of the container or another object. It can be either convex or concave. A convex meniscus occurs when the molecules have a stronger attraction to each other (cohesion) than to the material of the container (adhesion). This may be seen between Mercury and glass in barometers and thermometers. Conversely, a concave meniscus occurs when the molecules of the liquid attract those of the container's, causing the surface of the liquid to cave downwards. This can be seen in a glass of water. One can over-fill a glass with mercury and produce a convex meniscus that rises above the top of the glass, due to the vacuum created with the airtight substance.

Answer 2

There are two principles you need to understand here called adhesion and cohesion. Adhesion is how much a substance sticks to another substance; cohesion is how much a substance sticks to itself.

Mercury's cohesive forces are stronger than its adhesive forces which prevents it from sticking to the walls of a container to create an upward meniscus.

Answer 3

Mercury has greater cohesion (where molecules are attracted to like substances) than adhesion (where molecules are attracted to unlike substances).

ANS 2:

In glass, mercury's meniscus is up because its atoms have greater attraction for themselves than they do for the walls of the glass. You could expect mercury's meniscus to be downward in a tube made from lead...right up to the point that it amalgamates with the lead and the tube dissolves.

Answer 4

When mercury is put in a measuring cylinder, the meniscus curves downwards.

This is due to the greater cohesive force within the mercury atoms compared to the adhesive force between the mercury atoms and measuring cylinder.

Answer 5

Mercury is curved upward in a container due to surface tension, which is a phenomenon that causes liquid molecules to stick together and form a concave meniscus when in contact with a solid surface, like the walls of the container. This occurs because the attractive forces between the liquid molecules are stronger than the force of gravity acting on them, causing them to form a curved shape.

Answer 6

because the surface tension acts side wards and since the excess pressure in mercury acts upwards, it has ab upper meniscus

Answer 7

The attraction of the atoms of Hg are more than the attraction of Hg to the wall of the container.

Answer 8

All liquids can form a meniscus; the cause are the surface tension and the form depends on adhesion/cohesion effects. Mercury has a convex meniscus.