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Yuri B.
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Is it feasible to achieve elavation of water to, let's say, 10 m height due to the capillary action effect ? Or the capillary diameter for that to achieve should be less than the water molecules themselves ?
Integral said:I do not believe that it is pure capillary action, but water does reach the top of 100m tall trees.
The pores of the leaves (where the water evaporates) are indeed so tiny (2-5 nm), that capillary action is strong enough to balance the weight of the sap column below, within which the force is transmitted as tension (negative pressure) in the much thicker xylem-tubes (20000-200000 nm).Integral said:I do not believe that it is pure capillary action, but water does reach the top of 100m tall trees.
Yuri B. said::
"...venerable question of why sap rises in tall trees [32]. We
hope to address this problem in future work"
Capillary action is the movement of a liquid through a narrow space or tube, such as a capillary, due to the adhesive and cohesive forces between the liquid and the surface of the space or tube.
The limit of capillary action refers to the maximum height that a liquid can rise through a narrow space due to its surface tension and the forces of adhesion and cohesion.
The capillary action's limit is affected by the surface tension, adhesion, and cohesion of the liquid, as well as the size and shape of the capillary, the temperature, and the properties of the surface the liquid is in contact with.
Understanding the capillary action's limit is important in various fields, such as biology, chemistry, and engineering. It can help in the design of microfluidic devices, understanding how plants transport water, and determining the properties of liquids.
Some examples of capillary action's limit include the rising of water through a paper towel, the movement of ink through a pen, the absorption of water by plant roots, and the ability of sponges to soak up liquids.