Capillary action

[flano]

Anybody have any interesting facts about the capillary action of liquids

[thekraut]

do you want to know how it works, or what?

[flano]

Not really I'm doing a mini-documentary for my college on an experiment on capillary action and I need jazzy bits of information to make it interesting as well as educational. Any offers? -thanks

[bernardo]

It is up to the experts to provide the facts, but whether they are "interesting" is a matter for your interpretation.

[flano]

Well why don't you tell me some so that I may "interpret" them.

[keeganc2]

just think of a sponge on top of water.nice

[thekraut]

try to explain then why even in very tall trees the water in the wood does not boil at the top even though the pressure in the liquid should be way below vapour pressure.

[thekraut]

or wet sand. why does it get more solid if you add water, but falls apart if you add too much?

[Tomacheyvsky]

A piece of filter paper (coffee paper) etc, dipped in a liquid will show you capillary action. Colour the fluid and you would have a good demonstration...