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Capillarity

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

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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.

capillarity action

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

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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Related Topics

  • Fluid Mechanics - The study of fluids - liquids and gases. Involves various properties of the fluid, such as velocity, pressure, density and temperature, as functions of space and time.

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