Question

Capillary Action

In this activity, you will learn how capillary action works and how it helps plants survive.
Estimated time to complete: 1.5 hours (spread across two days)
You’ll need these materials: 3 large beakers, cups, or jars tap water blue, red, and green food coloring a spoon 3 fresh, white carnations with long stems a pair of sharp scissors Stay safe! Be careful while handling sharp objects. Follow these steps to investigate capillary action, and then answer the questions that follow: Fill each beaker with about 8 ounces of tap water. Add 20 to 30 drops of food coloring to each beaker. Use a different color for each beaker. Use the spoon to stir the food coloring and water mixture in each beaker. To avoid mixing the colors together, be sure to clean the spoon after stirring each beaker. Use a pair of sharp scissors to cut about 2 inches off the bottom of each carnation stem. Try to cut the stems at about a 45-degree angle. Place each carnation in one of the beakers of colored water. Make sure only part of the stem is submerged. The flowers should not touch the water. Leave the carnations in the beakers overnight. Observe the carnations the next day. Record your observations and analysis by answering the following questions.
Part A Describe how the carnations look after sitting in the colored water overnight. Do they look different than they did the day before? Do they all look the same? If not, describe how they are different. Font Sizes Characters used: 0 / 15000
Part B What does the change you observed in Part A demonstrate about the stem of a carnation? Your answer should describe the structure and function of a carnation’s stem using evidence from the experiment. Font Sizes Characters used: 0 / 15000
Part C Read this information about capillary action. How do you think capillary action is related to the change you observed in Part A? Font Sizes Characters used: 0 / 15000
Part D What properties of water allow capillary action to occur? Describe how each property you identify is related to capillary action. Font Sizes Characters used: 0 / 15000
Part E How do you think capillary action is related to the survival of plants? Do you think land plants could survive if water didn’t have the properties that make capillary action possible? Explain your answer in terms of the processes plants need to survive. Font Sizes Characters used: 0 / 15000
Part F Many minerals that plants need to grow and survive are found in the surrounding soil. For example, nitrogen and phosphorus are both minerals required for plant growth. Plants can’t directly absorb minerals in their solid form from the soil. Instead, plants rely on water to help them get the minerals that they need. Based on what you know about the properties of water, how do you think water helps plants get minerals from the soil?

Answer 1

Capillary action is the ability of a liquid to flow against gravity in a small tube or porous material. In the context of plants, capillary action helps transport water and nutrients from the roots to the rest of the plant. The properties of water, such as adhesion and cohesion, enable capillary action to occur.

Step-by-step explanation:

Capillary action is the ability of a liquid to flow against gravity in a small tube or porous material, due to the adhesive forces between the liquid molecules and the surface of the tube/material, as well as the cohesive forces within the liquid. In the context of the experiment with carnations, capillary action is demonstrated by the colored water creeping up the stem of the carnations. The change observed in Part A of the experiment shows that the carnations absorbed the colored water, causing them to change color and become vibrant. This change demonstrates the structure and function of a carnation's stem, which contains capillaries called xylem that transport water and dissolved nutrients from the soil up through the roots and into the plant.

Capillary action is related to the survival of plants because it helps transport water and nutrients from the roots to the rest of the plant, including the leaves where photosynthesis takes place. Without capillary action, land plants would struggle to survive because they would not be able to efficiently absorb water and nutrients from the soil. In terms of processes necessary for plant survival, capillary action is crucial for maintaining hydration, nutrient transport, and overall plant growth and development.

The properties of water that allow capillary action to occur include adhesion and cohesion. Adhesion refers to the ability of water molecules to stick to other substances, such as the molecules in the xylem of plant stems. This adhesive force helps pull water up the stem against gravity. Cohesion refers to the attractive forces between water molecules themselves, which allows water to form continuous columns within the capillaries of the stem, creating a pathway for water uptake. These properties of water are essential for capillary action to happen and play a vital role in the survival of plants.

In the context of plant mineral absorption, capillary action helps plants obtain minerals from the soil. Capillary action allows water to move through the porous soil, carrying dissolved minerals with it. As the water is taken up by the plant through the roots and transported to the leaves, the minerals are also brought along. The properties of water, such as adhesion and cohesion, ensure that the plant can efficiently absorb the necessary minerals for growth and survival.