Question

How does water get to the leaves in the tops of the tallest trees against the force of gravity? What is that property's name?

Answer 1

I think it has something to do with water being lost from the tree's leaves, and as a result more water gets sucked up towards the leaves through the trunk and branches. Think of it like a straw; more liquid is getting sucked into your mouth, so more liquid rises up through the straw

Answer 2

You get what I mean?

Answer 3

Help me out here, DanJS.

Answer 4

There is a limit to how high water can climb in a tube given a certain atmospheric pressure, even if there is a complete vacuum above the water ... how does water reach even higher than that in trees?

Answer 5

that is the real question

Answer 6

Isn't it because there's water equally moving through the roots?

Answer 7

Kind of like a push-pull?

Answer 8

If you have a tube like a straw, and you try sucking water up a distance, the limit on earth is 10 meters, That is if you create a perfect vacuum in the straw above the water with your suction. So how do trees get water above that height?

Answer 9

There are xylem tubes full of a continuous column of water... how do they make it above that 10 meter mark?

Answer 10

Guys these are great but what is this process called?

Answer 11

watch this video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BickMFHAZR0
pretty entertaining

Answer 12

it is not capilliary action

Answer 13

Osmosis?

Answer 14

No, CAPILLARY ACTION

Answer 15

If you've ever learned about the veins and blood moving through your body, just think of your capillaries. Same force, am I right?

Answer 16

Trees create Huge negative pressures by evaporating water through nano sized pores, sucking water up 100 meters, to a state where it should be boiling, but cant, because the xylem tubes contain no air bubbles for nucleation sites.

Answer 17

So, shouldn't that mean that if we cut a tree open, the water comes flowing out? I'm not saying you're wrong, because you're obviously not, I'm just curious.

Answer 18

another quetion...wht do humans sweat and dogs pant?

Answer 19

And what kind of reaction is iron oxidizing?