Capillarity is a phenomenon linked to the rise or fall of a fluid when in contact with a solid body.
In order to understand the meaning of the term capillarity , it is necessary, first of all, to discover its etymological origin. In this case we can say that it is a word that comes from Latin and is the result of the sum of three components of said language:
-The noun “capilus”, which can be translated as “hair”.
-The suffix “-aris”, which is equivalent to “relative to”.
-The suffix “-dad”, which is used to indicate “quality”.
What is capillarity
Capillarity is the phenomenon that causes the surface of a fluid, when in contact with a solid body, to rise or fall depending on whether or not it wets the element in question.
The concept derives from capillary , which in one of its meanings refers to a very fine conduit. It is also said that a phenomenon is capillary when it occurs by capillarity.
A property that depends on the surface tension of liquids
It can be stated that this property is dependent on the surface tension of the liquid, which causes the liquid to face resistance when increasing its surface area. Surface tension, in turn, is linked to the cohesion of the fluid.
Depending on the surface tension , the liquid may go down or up through the capillary tube . This phenomenon is what we know as capillarity.
When the cohesion between the molecules is less than the adhesion of the fluid to the tube, the liquid wets and, therefore, rises through the conduit. This rise will continue until the surface tension balances as a result of the weight of the fluid.
On the other hand, if the molecular cohesion of the fluid is greater than the adhesion to the tube , the surface tension causes a descent of the liquid.
Plants can absorb groundwater thanks to capillarity.
Capillary and plants
Capillarity causes water, in a capillary tube, to rise. That is why plants can absorb groundwater. The phenomenon, on the contrary, causes mercury to descend in a glass conduit.
The curve that is generated on the surface of a fluid as a reaction to the surface of the container is called the meniscus . The meniscus is concave when the molecules of the fluid and those of the tube attract (as in the case of water in a glass container) and convex if the opposite occurs (mercury in a glass tube).
A problem in construction
Capillarity, in addition, is a very common term used in the field of construction . Thus, it is used to refer to a specific problem that can appear in buildings and homes. We are referring to the so-called capillary humidity.
This problem occurs because the water that exists in the land on which the construction has been carried out is a lot and this means that it evaporates through the areas that breathe and becomes present on ceilings and walls. The usual thing is that it is shown by dark-colored spots, with moisture in what would be the so-called skirting boards and even with bulging of the paint. All of these manifestations that, to a greater or lesser extent, spoil the image of the home or the premises itself.
In order to put an end to this problem of capillarity and humidity, what will remain is to carry out an exhaustive analysis of the construction to be able to know the causes and take the appropriate measures. Among these alternatives would be undertaking good insulation by waterproofing the affected walls and ceilings.