The Statistical Mechanical Theory of Surface Tension

Abstract

A general statistical mechanical theory of interfacial phenomena is developed and expressions are derived relating the surface tension and other superficial thermodynamic functions to the potential of intermolecular force and molecular distribution functions. On the basis of a reasonable approximation to the superficial density of molecular pairs, the Lennard‐Jones potential and the Eisenstein‐Gingrich radial distribution function, the surface tension, surface energy, and the superficial density of matter, referred to the surface of tension, are calculated for liquid argon at 90°K and compared with experiment. The positive value which is obtained for the superficial density, referred to the surface of tension, confirms the results of Tolman's quasi‐thermodynamic theory and leads to the conclusion the surface tension of small drops decreases with increasing curvature.