A capillary is immersed in water in the absence of gravity. The water will

Options

A. rise to maximum height available
B. rise to a height same as in presence of gravity
C. not rise at all
D. rise to a height lesser than that observe under gravity

Answer

To solve the problem of what happens to water in a capillary tube when it is immersed in water in the absence of gravity, we will follow these steps:

### Step 1: Understand the Concept of Capillarity
Capillarity is the ability of a liquid to flow in narrow spaces without the assistance of external forces (like gravity). This phenomenon is influenced by the surface tension of the liquid and the adhesive forces between the liquid and the walls of the capillary tube.

**Hint:** Remember that capillarity occurs due to the balance of cohesive and adhesive forces.

### Step 2: Analyze the Effect of Gravity
In a normal scenario with gravity, the height to which the liquid rises in the capillary tube can be calculated using the formula:
\[ H = \frac{2T}{\rho g R} \]
where:
- \( H \) is the height of the liquid column,
- \( T \) is the surface tension,
- \( \rho \) is the density of the liquid,
- \( g \) is the acceleration due to gravity,
- \( R \) is the radius of the capillary tube.

**Hint:** This formula shows that the height is directly proportional to surface tension and inversely proportional to gravity.

### Step 3: Consider the Absence of Gravity
When gravity is absent (i.e., \( g = 0 \)), the formula for height becomes:
\[ H = \frac{2T}{\rho \cdot 0 \cdot R} \]
This results in \( H \) tending towards infinity, indicating that there is no gravitational force to counteract the surface tension.

**Hint:** Think about what happens to the balance of forces when gravity is removed.

### Step 4: Conclusion on Water Behavior
Since there is no gravitational force to limit the rise of water in the capillary, the water will rise to the maximum height available in the capillary tube and will eventually overflow.

**Hint:** Visualize the scenario: without gravity, there is nothing to stop the water from rising indefinitely.

### Final Answer
The correct conclusion is that the water will rise to the maximum height available in the capillary tube.