Capillary Length

Compute the interface length scale where surface tension and gravity balance.

visual calculatorMultiphase Flow

Read the flow shape before trusting the number.

This page turns a CFD setup into regime, scale, and dominant-effect cues. Adjust the calculator below and compare the moving graphic with the computed result.

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capillary lengthsurface tensiongravity

formula

KaTeX rendered

\begin{aligned}\text{l\_c = sqrt(sigma / (Delta rho g))}\end{aligned}

ASCII source

l_c = sqrt(sigma / (Delta rho g))

sigma (N/m)rho_1 (kg/m^3)rho_2 (kg/m^3)

Delta rho (kg/m^3)

996.8000

capillary length (m)

0.0027

Below this scale surface tension dominates gravity; above it hydrostatic shape effects grow quickly.

capillary length surface tension gravity