Chapter 1

The Young-Laplace equation

To examine the relation between the surface tension at the interface between two immiscible liquids and the pressure dierence across the interface we adapt the approach given in [?]. Consider the situation seen in Figure 1.1. There is a small surface element, df = ds1 ds2 , which has at the point P principal radii of curvature R1 and R2 and normal vector n. We can at each point of the entire displaced surface draw the normal to the surface. The length of the normal lying between the original surface and the displaced, is denoted by . The displaced volume of this small surface element is dV = df , and the work needed to obtain the displacement for the entire surface is Wdisplacement = (p1 + p2 )df .

The work associated with changing the entire surface area with the amount f is Wsurf ace = f, where is the surface tension on the surface. Thus, the total work required for the displacement of the entire surface is W = Wsurf ace + Wdisplacement = f (p1 p2 )df . (1.1)

In Figure 1.1, the lengths ds1 and ds2 are drawn on the surface in its principal curvature sections. Since we are considering innitesimal displacements, we assume that these arcs are straight lines. The triangles between R1 , ds1 and n, and also R2 , ds2 and n, gives us the lengths of the displaced ds1 and ds2 : ds1 = and ds2 =

ds1 (R1 + ), R1 ds2 (R2 + ). R2 1

Figure 1.1: The displacement of a surface df by the normal vector d . The displaced surface element df is then df = ds1 ds2 = ds1

R2 + R1 + , ds2 = df 1 + + R1 R2 R1 R2

where we have assumed that 2 = 0. The small surface element df changes by 1 1 ( R +R )df , and to obtain an expression for the entire surface, we integrate 1 2 with respect to df , 1 1 df . (1.2) + f = R1 R2 When this is inserted in Equation (1.1), and the thermodynamic equilibrium condition W = 0, is employed, we get that 1 1 + R1 R2 (p1 p2 ) df = 0. (1.3)

Since this has to hold for all small displacements, i.e. for all values of , we get the Young-Laplace equation (p1 p2 ) = 1 1 + R1 R2 . (1.4)

The term H = (1/R1 + 1/R2 ) is the mean curvature of the surface. Suppose the surface can be covered by a surface patch s (u, v ) with rst and second fundamental forms I = Edu2 + 2F dudv + Gdv 2 2

II = Ldu2 + 2M dudv + N dv 2 , where E= and L= s u

2

, F =

s s , G= u v

s v

2s 2s 2s N, M = N. , N= 2 u uv v 2

where N is the unit normal to the surface [?]. By calculating H H= LG 2M F + N E , 2 (EG F 2 )

the Young-Laplace equation becomes a partial dierential equation (in the following, sx = s/x) (p1 p2 ) =
2 1 + s2 y sxx 2sx sy sxy + 1 + sx syy 2 1 + s2 x + sy 3/2

(1.5)