Capillary Action

Definition

Capillary action is the ability of a liquid to flow in narrow spaces without assistance or even against gravity. It occurs because of intermolecular attractive forces between the liquid and solid surrounding surfaces.

Analogy

Imagine you're using a paper towel to clean up spilled juice. The juice doesn't just stay where it's spilled; it gets sucked up into the paper towel. That's capillary action at work!

Related terms

Meniscus: A meniscus is the curve seen at the top of a liquid in response to its container. The meniscus can be either concave or convex, depending on how the liquid interacts with its container.

Viscosity: Viscosity is a measure of a fluid's resistance to flow. It describes how thick or thin a fluid is.

Polarity: Polarity refers to how evenly electrons are shared in a molecule. In polar substances like water, capillary action is more pronounced due to stronger adhesive forces with other polar substances.