Water flows up a plant's stem against the force of gravity.

Question

In which of the following ways could the movement of water up a plant be modeled?
A.
Pour a glass of water on top of a towel that is spread out on a table.
B.
Place a clear pipe in a small tub of water. Shake the tub back and forth. Watch how the water moves around the pipe.
C.
Blow through a clear straw in a glass of water. Observe the level of water inside the straw.
D.
Place the tip of a sponge in water dyed with food coloring. Watch how the water moves up the sponge.

Answer 1

The movement of water up a plant's stem can best be modeled by option D: "Place the tip of a sponge in water dyed with food coloring. Watch how the water moves up the sponge."

This option accurately represents the capillary action and osmotic processes that are at play in plants, where water moves upward through specialized structures (like xylem) against gravity, similar to how water moves up a sponge through its pores.

Options A, B, and C do not effectively model the process of water moving against gravity in the same way as option D does.