High School

What happens to the water in a 10 cm long capillary tube, with a 2 cm capillary rise, when it is lifted 5 cm above the water reservoir that provided the water?

The water in the tube will:

A) Rise further
B) Remain at the same level
C) Fall down
D) Depend on the tube's material

Answer :

Final answer:

The water level in the capillary tube will remain at the same 2 cm level when the tube is lifted 5 cm above the water reservoir.

Explanation:

When a capillary tube is lifted above the water reservoir, the height of the water column inside the capillary will not change just because the tube is raised.

This scenario assumes that the water's adhesive forces inside the tube and the cohesive forces within the water remain unchanged.

Since these forces are responsible for the capillary rise, the level of water inside the tube will remain at the same level (2 cm) as long as the end of the tube does not leave the reservoir or the conditions (such as temperature, tube material) remain constant.