From: Steven Eiger (eiger@montana.edu)
Date: Wed Jan 30 2002 - 08:34:26 PST
Message-Id: <l03102801b87dcf547b4f@[153.90.150.107]> Date: Wed, 30 Jan 2002 09:34:26 -0700 From: Steven Eiger <eiger@montana.edu> Subject: Re: pinhole capillary action and nonpolar substances
I think I would do an experiment. First I would see how the weight changes
when the tubes are dunked in water or oil, this would be a very rough
indication of the stickiness of each liquid to the glass. It is biased
towards water as water stickes to itself. This brings up another point; as
oil creeps up the side is it working against the weight as much as water,
it has much, much weaker bonds between molecules. The vapor pressure of
water is a lot larger than a nonpolar molecule of similar weight. The
other possibility is how the tubes were cleaned. oils are free fatty
acids, it might make a difference if the tubes were washed in acidic or
basic solutions prior to the experiment. Worth anothe r try. Steve
Steven Eiger, Ph.D.
Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience and the WWAMI Medical Education
Program
PO Box 173148
Montana State University - Bozeman
Bozeman, MT 59717-3148
Voice: (406) 994-5672
E-mail: eiger@montana.edu
FAX: (406) 994-7077
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