Surfactant is a lipoprotein molecule that reduces the force of surface tension from water molecules on the lung tissue. The net result is that the surface tension of the lungs from water is reduced so that the lungs can still inflate and deflate properly without the possibility of collapse from surface tension alone.Click to see full answer. Consequently, how does surfactant reduce surface tension in the lungs?Pulmonary surfactant thus greatly reduces surface tension, increasing compliance allowing the lung to inflate much more easily, thereby reducing the work of breathing. It reduces the pressure difference needed to allow the lung to inflate. why does soap decrease the surface tension of water? Soap molecules are composed of long chains of carbon and hydrogen atoms. Since the surface tension forces become smaller as the distance between water molecules increases, the intervening soap molecules decrease the surface tension. Subsequently, question is, how does a surfactant affect surface tension? Surfactants absorb at interfaces The cohesive forces between the water molecules are very strong making the surface tension of water high. The intermolecular forces between surfactant and water molecule are much lower than between two water molecules and thus surface tension will decrease.What happens when surface tension is reduced?Conversely, as surface tension decreases strong; as molecules become more active with an increase in temperature becoming zero at its boiling point and vanishing at critical temperature. Adding chemicals to a liquid will change its surface tension characteristics.