Nota: A tradução desta entrada está atualmente em revisão de qualidade, portanto parte do conteúdo é exibida temporariamente apenas em inglês.
Este verbete ainda não foi traduzido para o seu idioma, portanto o original é exibido abaixo.
capillary action
This term describes a specific physical phenomenon where liquid climbs or moves through narrow tubes or porous materials. It is primarily used in scientific, technical, and educational contexts to explain how plants draw water from roots to leaves or how blotting paper absorbs spills.
Because it refers to a specific physical process, the term is treated as an uncountable noun. It does not have a plural form in standard scientific usage, as the "action" refers to the mechanism itself rather than a countable event.
Meanings
Examples
Plants use capillary action to transport water from the roots to the leaves.
Look how the ink spreads through the fabric via capillary action.
I wonder if capillary action is why the moisture climbed up the wall.
The thin tubes in the device rely on capillary action to move the sample.
Capillary action allows the liquid to defy gravity in these narrow channels.
Does capillary action work differently with oil than it does with water?
The sponge absorbs the spill quickly thanks to capillary action.
We can observe capillary action by dipping a thin glass tube into a beaker of water.