The electrohydrostatics of a conductive liquid meniscus

Abstract

Electric fields offer a convenient way to manipulate liquid surfaces. The electrical forces produced are perpendicular to the surface of a conducting liquid, but, unlike pressure, they act only on the surface itself. The opposing force is surface tension. Self-consistent solutions for the shapes of axisymmetric menisci in electric fields are derived for conductive liquids with constant surface tension. In a uniform field, the shapes which result are rounded cones. A dimensionless quantity that depends on the radius of the hole surrounding the meniscus and the surface tension is shown to be a key parameter in the models.<>