Thread: The Mystery of Capillary Phenomena

By immersing the end of a fine capillary glass tube in water, you will observe the water coloumn in the tube to rise. The height to which the water rises is inversely proportional to the tube's diameter. As the water rises, we donot observe any visible changes in the tube or the water - except for the rise.

What energy source makes capillary phenomena feasible ?

I'm just randomly saying something (I don't actually know) but it might be adhesion/cohesion. as you put the glass tube into the water you create a velocity of the water up the tubr inproportion to the tube itself. so the water will do as it does in plants after that point and move its way up the tube... But that's just a thought

i don't understand what captain_anubis is trying to say, though i do see the words adhesion and cohesion. maybe you can be more clear and elaborate.

The potential energy that is expended to raise the water up into the capillary is the energy of attraction between the water molecules and the silicon-oxide surface of the capillary. It's energy of electrostatic attraction, ie Coulombic energy.