d r o p
d r o p

Gravity causes water
to flow downward,
yet water has actually
flowed up into the
glass tubes.

What could cause
such behavior?

Water molecules cling to materials such as glass with an attractive force called adhesion. This attraction is what causes water to creep up the sides of the glass tubes.

""

The narrower the tube the higher water will climb. This behavior is called capillary attraction.

""

Anywhere water creeps through cervices -tiny spaces between grains of sand or fine veins in the stem of plant -capillary attraction is at work.

Find the book

Chapters