Capillary Action

PIRA: 2A20.10

The capillary action demonstration consists of 7 glass tubes of varying inner diameter.  By placing each tube in a little bit of water or alcohol, the demonstrator can show that fluids can climb a tube without any suction.  The effectiveness of a capillary tube is related to the tube's inner diameter and the nature of the fluid involved.  Adding a little bit of dish soap to the water results in a dramatic change in it's capillary behavior.  Adding a few drops of food coloring makes this demo much more visually effective.