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Capillarity or capillary action is the ability of a narrow tube to draw a liquid upwards against the force of gravity.

The height of liquid in a tube due to capillarity can be expressed as
h = 2 σ cosθ / (ρ g r) (1)
where
h = height of liquid (ft, m)
σ = surface tension (lb/ft, N/m)
θ = contact angle
ρ = density of liquid (lb/ft3, kg/m3)
g = acceleration due to gravity (32.174 ft/s2, 9.81 m/s2)
r = radius of tube (ft, m)
Surface tension is typically measured in dynes/cm or N/m.
| Liquid | Surface Tension | |
| N/m | dynes/cm | |
| Ethyl Alcohol | 0.0223 | 22.3 |
| Mercury | 0.465 | 465 |
| Water 20oC | 0.0728 | 72.75 |
| Water 100oC | 0.0599 | 58.9 |
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