asked 199k views
4 votes
A glass capillary is placed in a bowl of water. Into what type of capillary will the water rise to the highest level, measured vertically from the surface of the water? a) a 1-mm wide capillary inserted vertically into the water b) a 1.5-mm capillary inserted at 45 degrees into the water c) a 1.5-mm capillary inserted vertically into the water d) a 2-mm capillary inserted at 30 degrees into the water

asked
User Lyxal
by
7.8k points

1 Answer

5 votes

The water will rise to the highest level in a 1-mm wide capillary inserted vertically into the water. This is due to the capillary action, where the height to which the liquid rises is inversely proportional to the tube's radius. The angle of insertion does not affect the capillary action.

The subject of this question is capillary action, a physics concept which involves the movement of liquid along the surface of a solid caused by the attraction of molecules of the liquid to the molecules of the solid. To answer the question: The water will rise to the highest level in a 1-mm wide capillary inserted vertically into the water (option a).

This is due to the fact that the interaction between water and glass molecules (adhesive forces) causes the water to rise in the capillary tube. This phenomenon is more pronounced in narrower tubes because they have a smaller radius. The height to which the liquid rises is inversely proportional to the tube's radius, according to the formula h=2T cos θ/(rρg), where h is the height, T is the surface tension, θ is the contact angle, r is the radius, ρ is the density, and g is gravity.

Therefore, in this case a capillary with a smaller radius (1mm < 1.5mm) would cause the water to rise to a greater height. The angle at which the capillary is inserted does not affect the capillary action because the vertical height is measured from the surface of the water, therefore options b) and d) which mention the capillary being inserted at an angle are irrelevant.

Learn more about Capillary Action

answered
User Tom Rini
by
8.4k points

No related questions found