Sandstone getting soaked with water

Question

I have seen someone putting a sandstone in water. With only about 10% of the stone sitting in the water. One could see the stone getting soaked with water. So there must be a force, which lets the water climb up through the stone against gravity.

What is that force? Or is there some other effect present?

score 14 · Accepted Answer · edited Oct 16 '13 at 18:25

14

My guess will be that it's mainly the effect of capillarity forces due to the porous quality of the stone surface. This might also be a good read.

edited Oct 16 '13 at 18:25

Waffle's Crazy Peanut

9,178

answered Oct 14 '13 at 11:39

Ignacio Vergara Kausel

2,172

Sandstone getting soaked with water

1 Answers1