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Question:

Water rises to a height h in a capillary tube. If the length of the capillary tube above the surface of water is made less than h, then:

water does not rise at all

water rises upto the tip of capillary tube and then starts overflowing like a fountain

water rises upto a point a little below the top and stays there

water rises upto the top of capillary tube and stays there without overflowing.

Solution:

It won't overflow. That should be obvious since doing so would create a constant flow, constantly using energy, but without any energy input. The same force that pulls the water along the inside of the capillary tube also holds it there when it reaches the end. This force doesn't just pull upward, it pulls the water along the glass. At a certain height, the weight of the water column balances this pull. In that case the pull is upward since there is water below but not above.