Oil rises up the wick in a lamp because
(1) Oil is very light
(2) Of the diffusion of oil through the wick
(3) Of the surface tension phenomenon
(4) Of the capillary action phenomenon
Answer: (4) It is because of the capillary action phenomenon because of which oil rises up the wick in a lamp. Capillary action, or capillarity, is the ability of a liquid to flow in narrow spaces without the assistance of, and in opposition to external forces like gravity. The effect can be seen in the drawing up of liquids between the hairs of a paint-brush, in a thin tube, in porous materials such as paper, in some non-porous materials such as liquefied carbon fibre, or in a cell. It occurs because of inter-molecular attractive forces between the liquid and solid surrounding surfaces.
