Capillary Tubes

DCS Code: 2A20.10 Last Updated: March 27, 2026
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Purpose

Water rises to different heights in a set of glass tubes with increasing diameters, directly showing the inverse relationship \(h \propto 1/r\) between capillary rise and tube radius.

Top: projected image of capillary tubes showing water at different heights. Bottom: the apparatus -- five glass capillary tubes of increasing diameter mounted on a clear base with a wide reservoir tube on the right.
Figure 1: The capillary tube apparatus with tubes of increasing diameter, shown with horizontal projector setup (top) and standalone (bottom).
Equipment