Kerosene rising up the wick in a wick stove is a phenomenon known as capillary action. Capillary action is the ability of a liquid to flow in narrow spaces without the assistance of, or even in opposition to, external forces like gravity. This effect is due to the combination of surface tension (cohesion within the liquid) and adhesion (attraction between the liquid and the solid surface of the wick). Surface tension is a primary force enabling capillary action.
In a wick stove, kerosine rises up the wick due to:
Asked in RPSC RAS Prelims 1998 · Topic: Physical Properties of Materials (Viscosity and Surface Tension)
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