Question

5 referring to figure 1, notice that water shows capillary attraction, while mercury shows capillary repulsion. using your knowledge of capillary action, propose a reason why the meniscus of mercury appears different than that of water.

Explanation:

Capillary action depends on adhesive and cohesive forces. Water has strong adhesion to glass, causing it to rise and form a concave meniscus. Mercury has weak adhesion to glass and strong cohesive forces within itself, resulting in a convex meniscus and capillary repulsion.

Answer:

Mercury has weak adhesion to glass and strong cohesive forces among its own molecules, while water has strong adhesion to glass, which leads to different meniscus shapes.