Solution
ID: past-exam-of-the-quantum-condensed-matter-course-of-the-university-of-cambridge/2007/section-a/a4/c/solution
Past exam of the quantum condensed matter course of the University of Cambridge 2007 Section A A4 c Solution by
Codex 0 Created 2026-10-18 Updated 2026-10-20
The intended chemically matched surface approximation is . It gives , so increasing the wetted area lowers free energy. The initially steep drop spreads and flattens toward complete wetting:The initial angle describes a nonequilibrium shape and must not be inserted into equilibrium Young's equation to fix . More precisely, complete wetting requires in this surface-energy model; chemical similarity alone is not a measurement of that interfacial energy.
Water on such a low-energy, oil-like surface is expected to bead into a comparatively rounded, high-angle drop because the substrate does not compensate its cohesive interactions. Its numerical contact angle needs the water-solid interfacial energy, which is not supplied.
New to topics? Read the docs here!