Of Sclencei: 



- PROCEEDINGS 



OF 



THE ROYAL IRISH ACADEMY. 



PAPERS READ BEFORE THE ACADEMY. 



I. 



ON THE CEEEPING OF LIQUIDS AND ON THE SUEFACE 

 TENSION OE MIXTURES. 



Br EEEDERICK T. TEOUTON, D.Sc, E.E.S. 



[Eead June 10, 1901.] 



Ceetain liquids, as is well known, when left in the open air, will 

 creep up over the sides of the containing vessel and escape. Ordi- 

 nary commercial paraffin is a liquid which creeps in this way to a 

 remarkable extent. The phenomenon is well known in connexion 

 with domestic lamps, often producing inconvenient results. 



The effect is readily observed by standing a beaker full of ordi- 

 nary paraffin on paper in the open air, when in a few days a 

 considerable quantity of the liquid will be seen to have crept out on 

 to the paper. 



Experiments were undertaken with the view of investigating 

 the conditions necessary for this creeping to occur, and the con- 

 clusions ultimately arrived at from these may be summed up in the 

 statement that in order that a liquid sliould creep it must he a mixture, 

 and tlie surface tension of this mixture must he less than that of its least 

 volatile constituent. 



A simple form of experiment, to compare the creeping tendencies 

 of different liquids, may be arranged as follows. A long metal strip 



K.I.A. PUOC, VOL. XXIV., SEC. A.] A 



