COMMENTS

  1. Capillary Action

    Other names for the phenomenon are capillarity, capillary motion, and wicking. Capillary action does not require the force of gravity. In fact, liquids often rise in narrow tube in opposition to gravity. Forces in Capillary Action - How It Works. The three forces largely responsible for capillary action are surface tension, cohesion, and ...

  2. Walking Water Rainbow Science Experiment

    This rainbow science experiment is as magic as the science behind it. The colored water travels up the paper towel by a process called capillary action. Capillary action is the ability of a liquid to flow upward, against gravity, in narrow spaces. This is the same thing that helps water climb from a plant's roots to the leaves in the tree tops.

  3. Walking Water Science Experiment

    Walking Water Science Experiment Step by Step Instructions. How Does the Experiment Work? The water appears to defy gravity, but in reality, it moves because of a process called capillary action.Water is able to move against the force of gravity because water molecules stick to each other AND they stick to the fibers of the paper towel.

  4. Capillary Action Experiment

    Now you know that the size of the tube is important for capillary action, but what about the liquid tested? Try this same experiment using corn oil, liquid soap and milk. Do you think you'll get the same results? Keep guessing different ways to test capillary action -- and don't forget to make a hypothesis with each new test.

  5. Capillary Action: Definition and Examples

    The two properties that make capillary action possible are: Cohesive Force - Force due to intermolecular attractions between molecules of the same kind, that is, liquid molecules. Cohesive force leads to surface tension in which the surface molecules bond and form an impenetrable layer.. Adhesive Force - Force due to intermolecular attractions between molecules of different kinds, that is ...

  6. Capillary Action and Water

    Capillary action helps bring water up into the roots. With the help of adhesion and cohesion, water can work its way all the way up to the branches and leaves. ... You can see capillary action in action (although slowly) by doing an experiment where you place the bottom of a celery stalk in a glass of water with food coloring and watch for the ...

  7. What Is Capillary Action? Definition and Examples

    Find out the definition of capillary action, examples of capillarity, famous people who studied it, and an explanation of how it works. ... Robert Boyle performed experiments on capillary action in 1660, noting a partial vacuum had no effect on the height a liquid could obtain via wicking.

  8. Lights, Camera, (Capillary) Action!

    This time, when you dip the plates in the water, the water goes up higher as the gap gets narrower. See Figure 9 in this reference—this experiment is over 100 years old! It demonstrates how something called capillary action can lift water up higher in narrower spaces.

  9. Walking Water

    Capillary action experiment explanation. How beautiful is it when the water has finished walking, saturating the paper towels?! You have lots of vivid colors, color mixing to form 3 new colors, and have a better grasp on what capillary action is with your grade 1, grade 2, grade 3, grade 4, and grade 5 students. ...

  10. Colorful Capillary Action "Walking Water"

    Paper towels are made of many small fibers that have gaps in between them. Water gets pulled into these gaps by capillary action—the same phenomenon that allows trees to suck water out of the ground. This action is partially fueled by surface tension, which is caused by cohesion (water molecules being attracted to one another).