Meniscus

Definition

A meniscus is the curve seen at the top of a liquid in response to its container. The meniscus can be concave or convex, depending on the liquid and its container.

Analogy

Imagine filling up a glass with water. You'll notice that it doesn't form a flat line at the top but rather has a slight curve - this is similar to how you'd draw hills in an art class! That's your meniscus!

Related terms

Capillary Action: This is when liquid flows in narrow spaces without assistance or even against gravity. It happens because of intermolecular attractions within the fluid and solid surrounding surfaces.

Surface Tension: This is defined as the energy required to increase the surface area of a liquid by unit amount. It causes liquids to reduce their surface area to minimum possible, making them behave like stretched elastic sheets.

Convex Meniscus: This occurs when particles in a liquid have stronger cohesive than adhesive forces (like mercury).