What makes paper towels absorbent

How does a paper towel absorb water? Leave a Reply Cancel reply You must be logged in to post a comment. I understand how a transformer changes voltage, but how does it regulate the amp…. Capillary action is the small amount of elasticity that naturally occurs between molecules of water, holding them together.

Every little space in the surface of the paper towel has its own tiny "bubble" of surface tension. These bubbles are formed when the towel comes into contact with liquid because the liquid in each tiny space is kept separate from the liquid in other pores and pockets. This allows the bubbles of liquid to be held in place and even sucked upward because each pocket contains so little water that the intermolecular attraction is stronger than the gravitational pull on the liquid.

If you wring out a paper towel, the water will be expelled. This is because the act of squeezing the towel breaks the surface tension of the pockets be compressing the spaces, forcing the liquid molecules to flow together and become weighted down by gravity. Lauren Vork has been a writer for 20 years, writing both fiction and nonfiction. Accessed June 29, A Moment of Science is a daily audio podcast, public radio program and video series providing the scientific story behind some of life's most perplexing mysteries.

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