40 Common Science 



of capillary attraction more thoroughly after reading 

 them. But you should know capillary attraction when 

 you see it now, and know how to use it. The following 

 questions will show whether or not you do : 



Application 10. Suppose you have spilled some milk on 

 a carpet, and that you have at hand wet tea leaves, dry corn 

 meal, some torn bits of a glossy magazine cover, and a piece 

 of new cloth the pores of which are stopped up with starch. 

 Which would be the best to use in taking up the milk? 



Application 11. A boy spattered some candle grease on 

 his coat. His aunt told him to lay a blotter on the candle 

 grease and to press a hot iron on the blotter, or to put the 

 blotter under his coat and the iron on top of the candle grease, 

 he was not quite sure which. While he was trying to re- 

 call his aunt's directions, his sister said that he could use 

 soap and water to take the grease out; then his brother 

 told him to scrape the spot with a knife. Which would 

 have been the right thing for him to do ? 



Inference Exercise 

 Explain the following : 



31. A pen has a slit running down to the point. 



32. When a man smokes, the smoke goes from the cigar into his 



mouth. 



33. A blotter which has one end in water soon becomes wet all 



o^er. 



34. Cream comes to the top of milk. 



35. It is much harder to stand on stilts than on your feet. 



36. Oiled shoes are almost waterproof. 



37. City water reservoirs are located on the highest possible places 



in or near cities. 



38. You can fill a self-filling fountain pen by squeezing the bulb, 



then letting go. 



39. The oceans do not flow off the world. 



40. When you turn a bottle of water upside down the water 



gurgles out instead of coming out in a smooth, steady 

 stream. 



