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Use of the Term ‘Young's Equation’ for Contact Angles

Abstract

RECENTLY, many writers have called the equation: in which θ is the contact angle measured in the liquid, γL, γS and γSL the surface tensions of liquid, solid and solid-liquid surfaces, ‘Young's equation’. I suggest that the relation between work of adhesion W SL, contact angle, and surface tension of the liquid: would more appropriately be called ‘Young's equation’. In his “Essay on the Cohesion of Fluids”, Thomas Young1 began his section VII, on “Cohesive Attraction of Solids and Fluids”, thus:

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References

  1. Young, Phil. Trans., 84 (1805); “Works”, edit by Peacock, 1, 432.

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  2. Harkins and Livingston, J. Chem. Phys., 10, 344 (1942).

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ADAM, N. Use of the Term ‘Young's Equation’ for Contact Angles. Nature 180, 809–810 (1957). https://doi.org/10.1038/180809a0

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