Explanation:

Surface tension is the force acting on the surface of a liquid that causes it to minimize its surface area. It is the property of a liquid surface that enables it to resist an external force. The surface of a liquid behaves like a stretched membrane and tends to minimize its surface area. This property is due to the cohesive forces between the molecules of the liquid.

The property of surface tension is to decrease the surface area of a liquid. This means that a liquid's surface will tend to become as small as possible, given the forces acting on it. Some of the important characteristics of surface tension are:

- Surface tension is a property of the surface of a liquid and is independent of the volume or shape of the liquid.
- Surface tension is caused by the cohesive forces between the molecules of the liquid.
- Surface tension decreases with an increase in temperature.
- Surface tension is measured in units of force per unit length.

Applications of Surface Tension:

Surface tension has many important applications in our daily lives, some of which are:

- The formation of droplets and bubbles: Surface tension is responsible for the formation of droplets and bubbles. When a liquid is placed on a surface, it tends to form a droplet due to surface tension. Similarly, when a gas is trapped in a liquid, it tends to form a bubble due to surface tension.
- Capillary action: Surface tension is responsible for the capillary action in plants and other porous materials. The cohesive forces between the molecules of the liquid cause it to rise in a narrow tube or to be absorbed by a porous material.
- Insect locomotion: Insects such as water striders are able to walk on the surface of water due to the high surface tension of water.
- Inkjet printing: Surface tension is used in inkjet printing technology to control the formation of droplets of ink.

Conclusion:

Surface tension is an important property of liquids that has many applications in our daily lives. It is caused by the cohesive forces between the molecules of the liquid and is responsible for the formation of droplets and bubbles, capillary action, insect locomotion, and inkjet printing. Surface tension tends to decrease the surface area of a liquid and is measured in units of force per unit length.

Due to decreasing the surface area the molecule gets stabilized due to intermolecular attractive forces hence any liquid or molecule always tries to decrease its surface area called as surface tension.