Max radius of falling liquid drop

[bengaltiger14]

The max radius a fallling liquid drop can have without breaking apart is given by the equation:

R=√(σ/gρ) where the rho is density of liquid (1000kg/m^3), and the surface tension is
.7275J/m^2. g is gravity

I am asked to determine the max radius of a drop in units of cm at 20 degrees celcius. Is this problem just a plug the values in problem and ignore the temperature? Is the temperature there just to throw me off?

 

[LowlyPion]

The max radius a fallling liquid drop can have without breaking apart is given by the equation:

R=√(σ/gρ) where the rho is density of liquid (1000kg/m^3), and the surface tension is
.7275J/m^2. g is gravity

I am asked to determine the max radius of a drop in units of cm at 20 degrees celcius. Is this problem just a plug the values in problem and ignore the temperature? Is the temperature there just to throw me off?

The density σ does have a temperature dependence, but if the σ is a given with no reference to temperature in the problem, I'd have to wonder if the real problem is having you convert units correctly.

(Btw σ of water at 20 degrees is 0.9982071.)

 

[baba89]

I would say that the temperature is not just there to throw you off, but it is an important factor to consider in this equation. The equation provided is a simplified version and assumes that the temperature is constant. However, in reality, the surface tension of a liquid can vary with temperature, and therefore, it is important to take the temperature into account when calculating the maximum radius of a falling liquid drop without breaking apart. Additionally, the density of the liquid may also change with temperature, so it is important to ensure that the values used in the equation are accurate for the specific temperature given. I would recommend researching the temperature dependence of surface tension and density for the specific liquid in question to get a more accurate result.