Aqueous surfactant solutions were atomized using an air assist atomizer, and the effects of dynamic surface tension on atomization were studied. The solutions differ from one another in their dynamic behavior, but all have the same equilibrium surface tension. The constant equilibrium surface tension was achieved by choosing surfactant concentrations above the critical micelle concentration (CMC). The dynamic change of surface tension in aqueous Tergitol NP‐10 solutions of 1.5, 3, 6, 12, and 60 mM was measured using the oscillating jet technique. While atomizing the liquid jet, it was found that frequencies and amplitudes of the flapping motion of the liquid jet increased with surfactant concentration showing that surface tension decreases in the region between the nozzle exit and breakup. The length of the intact liquid jet was found to be insensitive to surfactant concentration, suggesting that, due to sudden increase of surface area, surface tension is near its initial value in the breakup region. Measurements in the spray region show a strong influence of the dynamic change of surface tension on drop size. Finally, using an analysis based on a critical Weber number, the actual time average of surface tension was estimated at an axial location of 1.5× the intact length downstream from the nozzle exit, and an overall profile of surface tension as a function of axial location was proposed. ©1995 American Institute of Physics.