FLUID MECHANICS 2A CAPILLARY ELEVATION IN CAPILLARY TUBES FLMMIA2

Objective
Resolving vertically
To measure the effect of capillary elevation inside capillary tubes
by immersing tubes with different capillary bore diameters into
water and comparing the elevation of the level inside the tubes
due to surface tension

Equipment rearranging this gives

Glass capillary tubes in frame

Theory

When a tube with a small bore is inserted into a container of However, where the liquid starts to wet the wall of the tube; ϴ is
liquid, the level will either rise or fall within the tube as shown in zero so the equation becomes
the diagram depending on the angle of contact between the liquid
surfaces.

For liquids which wet the surface of the tube, such as water, the
liquid surface is attracted up the tube resulting in capillary
elevation. For liquids which do not wet the tube, such as mercury, This capillary action due to surface tension can cause serious
the liquid surface is repelled resulting in capillary depression. errors when measuring pressures in terms of a head of liquid
such as with a piezometer tube, if the bore of the tube is too
Considering the water, the gravitational force on the column of small.
liquid elevated must be supported by the surface tension , acting
round the periphery of the tube.

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FLUID MECHANICS 2A CAPILLARY ELEVATION IN CAPILLARY TUBES FLMMIA2

Readings

Internal Diameter of Tube Measured Capillary Rise

ID (mm) H (mm)

Figure 1: Tube wetted by liquid Figure 2: Tube not wetted by liquid

0.5
Procedure

• Observe the level of the water in each of the tubes 0.8

• Observe the small meniscus around the outside diameter

of the tubes where the water level rises slightly due to
surface tension in the water. 1.1

• Fill the water trough to the level of the bottom support

plate and insert the capillary tubes. 1.7

• Observe that the water level inside each of the tubes rises,
reducing bore sizes producing more elevation.
2
• Place a card behind the capillary tubes.

• Mark the card with the height of the capillary elevation in 2.2
each tube.

• Measure the capillary rise “h” for each diameter of tube Table 1: Experimental Readings
and record the measurements.

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