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Can surface tension ever be negative?

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Surface tension is defined as half the force per unit length to stretch a liquid film. This can also be converted into energetic terms where surface tension can be described as the ratio between the work done on the liquid to the change in surface area of the liquid. read more

If surface tension were negative, this would imply that the system could lower its free energy by increasing its surface area. Therefore the most energetically favourable state would be "all surface", i.e., the liquid would vaporize. read more

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