Capillary Rise Or Depression When Two Vertical Parallel Plates Are Partially Immersed In Liquid Calculator

Formula Used:

\[ h_c = \frac{2 \times \sigma \times \cos(\theta)}{W \times G_f \times t} \]

Surface Tension (σ):

N/m

Contact Angle (θ):

radians

Specific Weight of Water (W):

N/m³

Specific Gravity of Fluid (G_f):

Distance between Vertical Plates (t):

Capillary Rise (or Depression) (h_c):

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1. What is Capillary Rise/Depression?

Capillary rise or depression is the phenomenon where a liquid rises or falls in a narrow tube or between closely spaced plates due to the combined effects of surface tension and adhesive forces between the liquid and solid surfaces.

2. How Does the Calculator Work?

The calculator uses the capillary rise formula:

\[ h_c = \frac{2 \times \sigma \times \cos(\theta)}{W \times G_f \times t} \]

Where:

\( h_c \) — Capillary rise or depression (m)
\( \sigma \) — Surface tension (N/m)
\( \theta \) — Contact angle (radians)
\( W \) — Specific weight of water (N/m³)
\( G_f \) — Specific gravity of fluid
\( t \) — Distance between vertical plates (m)

Explanation: The formula calculates the height difference caused by capillary action between two vertical parallel plates partially immersed in a liquid.

3. Importance of Capillary Phenomena

Details: Capillary action is crucial in various natural and industrial processes including water movement in plants, ink absorption in paper, soil moisture dynamics, and microfluidic device operation.

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: Enter surface tension in N/m, contact angle in radians, specific weight in N/m³, specific gravity (dimensionless), and distance between plates in meters. All values must be positive.

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: What determines whether capillary rise or depression occurs?
A: It depends on the contact angle. If θ < 90°, capillary rise occurs. If θ > 90°, capillary depression occurs.

Q2: How does plate distance affect capillary rise?
A: Capillary rise is inversely proportional to the distance between plates - smaller distances result in greater capillary rise.

Q3: What is the typical range of surface tension values?
A: Surface tension typically ranges from about 20-75 mN/m for common liquids at room temperature.

Q4: How to convert contact angle from degrees to radians?
A: Multiply degrees by π/180 (approximately 0.0174533) to convert to radians.

Q5: What are practical applications of this calculation?
A: This calculation is used in soil mechanics, paper manufacturing, textile processing, and design of microfluidic devices and lab-on-chip systems.