Which term refers to the action that causes liquid to rise along a wick, tube, or gauze dressing?

Which term refers to the action that causes liquid to rise along a wick, tube, or gauze dressing?

• A. Contaminate
• B. Capillary Action
• C. Colposcope
• D. Fibroblast

Answer: (B)

Capillary action is the process that makes liquids rise in thin tubes or porous materials like wick dressings. This happens because adhesive forces between the liquid and the surface pull the liquid up along the walls, while cohesive forces within the liquid help pull other liquid molecules along. Surface tension at the liquid’s edge and gravity determine how high the rise goes—the narrower the space, the higher the liquid can climb. In wound care, capillary action draws fluid into dressings, helping keep the wound area drier and reducing maceration. Other terms don’t describe this movement of liquid in small spaces: contaminate means to make something dirty, a colposcope is an instrument for examining the cervix, and a fibroblast is a cell involved in wound healing.

Capillary action is the process that makes liquids rise in thin tubes or porous materials like wick dressings. This happens because adhesive forces between the liquid and the surface pull the liquid up along the walls, while cohesive forces within the liquid help pull other liquid molecules along. Surface tension at the liquid’s edge and gravity determine how high the rise goes—the narrower the space, the higher the liquid can climb. In wound care, capillary action draws fluid into dressings, helping keep the wound area drier and reducing maceration.

Other terms don’t describe this movement of liquid in small spaces: contaminate means to make something dirty, a colposcope is an instrument for examining the cervix, and a fibroblast is a cell involved in wound healing.