Capillary depression in mercury barometers and manometers

Abstract

An account is given of the preparation of a new table of values of the capillary depression in tubes of mercury barometers and manometers. The table has an entirely theoretical basis and has been computed by precise methods of interpolation from two existing tables in which the values, being expressed in terms of dimensionless quantities, are not in a form suitable for everyday use in pressure measurement. The chief features of the new table are that it covers a wide range of values of meniscus diameter and height, and also gives values of the capillary depression corresponding to three different values of the surface tension. Except for the smallest tubes, these values are given to the nearest 0 · 001 mm. Both in scope and accuracy the table is considered to be a substantial improvement on previously published tables giving the capillary depression directly in terms of meniscus height and diameter as arguments.