A small-diameter glass tube is placed upright in a container of mercury. The meniscus at the top of the column of mercury is convex. This demonstrates that the:

a. cohesive forces of mercury are weak.
b. cohesive forces of mercury are strong.
c. adhesive forces within the mercury are strong.
d. adhesive forces between the mercury and the glass are strong.

ANS: B
The cohesive forces within the mercury are stronger than the adhesive forces between the mer-cury and the glass. If the cohesive forces within the mercury were weaker than the adhesive forces, the meniscus would be concave. See Box 1-5.