Lab #: 1

Date: September 20, 2023

Title: Effect of temperature on capillary action
Aim: To investigate the effect of temperature on capillary action in celery stalks.
Apparatus and Materials: 5 Beakers, Measuring Cylinders, Tap Water, Food Colouring, Celery,
Thermometer Knife, Hot Plate
Procedure:
1. Fresh celery was obtained and a branch was pulled out from the head. An inch was cut with the
knife or so off from the bottom of the celery branch.
2. 4 inches on the celery branch was measured and cut off. This was repeated four more times.
3. 5 beakers were gotten and each was filled with 75ml of tap water.
4. Each beaker was labelled with water at different temperatures: room temperature, freezer (10oC),
40oC, 50oC, and 60oC.
5. After all the beakers were at the correct temperature, 16 drops of food colouring was added in
each beaker. (Darker the better) It was stirred for 10 seconds.
6. One celery stick was placed in each of the five beakers for 1 hour. After 1 hour each celery stick
was taken out and placed in front of the beaker.
7. One by one, each celery stick was cut in half vertically right in the middle of one of the “veins” of
the celery stick. In centimeters, where the food colouring reached in the celery was measured.
8. The data was recorded in a table.
9. A graph was constructed which showed the effect of temperature on capillary action.
Results:
Table Showing Temperature and Distance Travelled by Food Colouring

Temperature Distance travelled by food colouring (cm)

10oC 5cm
30oC 9.2cm
40oC 10.5cm (Went all the way up the vessel)
50oC 3.4cm
60oC 2.5cm

Graph
Discussion:
- Define osmosis and diffusion
- Outline the process in which water moves up a xylem vessel
- Discuss the trends observed in the lab
- What temperature may be considered to be optimum temperature for capillary action? Discuss
why this may be the case.
Limitation:
Source of Error:
Precautions:
Conclusion: