Explained (in a little too much detail) by a shipwright in terms relevant to boat building, but the principles illustrated would be of interest to anyone who works with wood.
The highest that water can ever be transported by capillary action alone is 33 feet - in a tree, or even in a glass tube in the laboratory. To understand the physiology of trees, start here -
That xylem tube and the Discovery link have just made my day. As a professional chemist, it's not often I get my ideas of what liquids can do so thoroughly overturned.
So (total noob question here), how does a live white oak transport moisture to the top, if not through capillary action?
ReplyDeleteThe highest that water can ever be transported by capillary action alone is 33 feet - in a tree, or even in a glass tube in the laboratory. To understand the physiology of trees, start here -
Deletehttp://tywkiwdbi.blogspot.com/2015/01/negative-pressure-in-xylem-tubes-of.html
- and then read the link offered by Dan Nolan in his comment.
Noob asks, expert delivers :) Thanks for the link; fascinating!
DeleteThat xylem tube and the Discovery link have just made my day. As a professional chemist, it's not often I get my ideas of what liquids can do so thoroughly overturned.
ReplyDeleteComments like yours warm the cockles of a blogger's heart. Tx.
Deletehow did boat builders 100s and 100s of years ago figure out that white oak was the wood to use?
ReplyDeletep.s. one export from the north ameican colonies to britain was white oak.
I-)