Explain line ,"the interface is normall y a few molecules thick but its area depends on the size of the particle s of bulk phases"
Interface is a surface which acts as a common boundary between two different bulk phases of matter, such as boundary between a solid and a liquid in a mixture . There is no interface between the gases because they are completely miscible.
The properties of the matter at the interface are different from those in the bulk of the matter.This is because particles at the interface are not in the same environment as the particles inside the bulk. Inside the bulk all the forces acting between the particles are mutually balanced but on the surface, the particles are not surrounded by the atoms or molecules of their kind on all sides and hence they posses unbalanced or residual attractive forces. These forces are responsible for the different properties of particles at the interface.
This interface layer consist of a few layers of molecules which shows different properties from the rest of bulk. This may be as few as only one layer of molecules or it may be as thick as consisting of even tens of molecular layers and the area of interface between the two phases is dependent on size of molecules of phases. Bigger is the molecular size more is the contact between the molecules of two phases and hence higher would be the area.
The properties of the matter at the interface are different from those in the bulk of the matter.This is because particles at the interface are not in the same environment as the particles inside the bulk. Inside the bulk all the forces acting between the particles are mutually balanced but on the surface, the particles are not surrounded by the atoms or molecules of their kind on all sides and hence they posses unbalanced or residual attractive forces. These forces are responsible for the different properties of particles at the interface.
This interface layer consist of a few layers of molecules which shows different properties from the rest of bulk. This may be as few as only one layer of molecules or it may be as thick as consisting of even tens of molecular layers and the area of interface between the two phases is dependent on size of molecules of phases. Bigger is the molecular size more is the contact between the molecules of two phases and hence higher would be the area.