Edwards, ScottWilliams, David2015-12-070295-5075http://hdl.handle.net/1885/26240The Influence of salt on the surface tension of water is yet to be understood. We derive approximate analytical expressions for the influence of two different ion-specific effects on the surface tension of an electrolyte: the dispersion interaction between the ions and the air-water Interface, and the change in solvatlon energy of the ions as they approach the Interface. These formulae provide a simple means of comparing the relative importance of the two effects. We carry out such a comparison for the case of 1 M NaCl, and find that solvation is the dominant effect.200610.1209/epl/i2006-10030-02015-12-07