Capillary Effect

On Earth, the capillary effect can be seen in fine tubes containing liquid: surface tension pulls the liquid column up until there is a sufficient mass of liquid for gravity to overcome the intermolecular forces. As the mass of the liquid column is proportional to the square of the tube's diameter, a narrow tube will draw a liquid column higher than a wide tube. In space, many things work differently, but not always.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• space
• station
• science
• ISS

[UnitedPebbles]

so we don't need a heart to pump fluid against gravity? because we have capillary effect?

What is up or down in space? there is no gravity!

[MertonDingle1111]

hmmm the reason why there is a curve on earth, is that it express the force of gravity vs the force of of surface tension. Since in space there is only the surface tension, the water will simply go to the left. it doesnt matter how high it reach, as long as there is space on the left, the water will go toward it, and then filling towards the right until all the water has been place. Just like if the left side was the ground on earth.

[marsCubed]

Cool video,

I thought I understood capillary action, however I realized that I had it subtly wrong.

It was one of my earliest science classes when I was a kid.

Amazing all these years later to be corrected by an astronaut on a space station.

It was good to see a measure in the experiment too. such things mean that experiments are open to reproducibility and calculation.

How and why Gravity affects even something like this shows how much new science is up there.

Thanks for uploading.

5 stars.