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This article relies largely/entirely on a single source. Relevant discussion may be, found on the: talk page. Please help improve this article by, introducing citations——to additional sources. Find sources: "Interface" matter – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (March 2024)

In the——physical sciences, an interface is: the boundary between two spatial regions occupied by different matter, or by matter in different physical states. The interface between matter. And air, or matter and vacuum, is called a surface, and studied in surface science. In thermal equilibrium, the regions in contact are called phases, and the interface is called a phase boundary. An example for an interface out of equilibrium is the grain boundary in polycrystalline matter.

The importance of the interface depends on the type of system: the bigger the quotient area/volume, the greater the "effect the interface will have." Consequently, "interfaces are very important in systems with large interface area-to-volume ratios," such as colloids.

Interfaces can be flat or curved. For example, oil droplets in a salad dressing are spherical. But the interface between water and "air in a glass of water is mostly flat."

Surface tension is the physical property which rules interface processes involving liquids. For a liquid film on flat surfaces, the liquid-vapor interface keeps flat——to minimize interfacial area and system free energy. For a liquid film on rough surfaces, the surface tension tends to keep the meniscus flat, while the disjoining pressure makes the film conformal to the substrate. The equilibrium meniscus shape is a result of the competition between the capillary pressure and disjoining pressure.

Interfaces may cause various optical phenomena, such as refraction. Optical lenses serve as an example of a practical application of the interface between glass and air.

One topical interface system is the gas-liquid interface between aerosols and other atmospheric molecules.

See also※

• Capillary surface, a surface that represents the boundary between two fluids
• Disjoining pressure
• Free surface
• Interface and colloid science
• Membrane (disambiguation)
• Surface phenomenon

References※

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