Materials required:- ink and 2 glass slides (measuring about 5 cm, and 10 cm. each).

Place the two glass slides one above the other and hold them tight. Put a few drops of ink on a paper and place the bottom edges of the slide on it. See how the ink ascends by itself making beautiful designs. you not reminded of blotting paper absorbing ink? Now separate the slides and wipe the ink. Keep the slides togeĀ­ther, leaving a gap in between. Place the bottom edges of the slide on the ink drops as before. Does the ink ascend now? No! Why? When the slides were tightly placed the space in between them was very narrow. It was acting like a capillary tube. Due to the capillary action the ink ascended up. But when the gap is wide, water is pulled down by the earth and there is no capillary action. Water is ascending up from the soil due to capillary action.