why the water goes up if I hold a paper towel up but touching it on a plate? What force is pushing/pulling the water against gravity?
In: Physics
Water molecules are actually rather special. They display a slightly polar aspect like a really weak magnet. So water molecules will pull on their neighbors ever so slightly by a method called “hydrogen bonds”. These hydrogen bonds also allow water to cling to surfaces as water makes it into the tiny microscopic cracks and crevices on most surfaces. Which in turn holds up there neighbors.
This “stickiness” for lack of a better term is what give water it’s unique behavior. The one you are describing is known as capillary action. When pulled into a small space like the weave of a paper towel, water will pull a chain of other water molecules behind it. These molecules will push on the one in front of them and keep pulling more in until the force of gravity overcomes the force between the molecules of water.
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