52 GENERAL SCIENCE 



out again. Each little fiber of the root is really an osmotic 

 apparatus, and the myriads of them are able to take 

 in sufficient food for the entire plant. Then, assisted 

 by capillarity, these solutions reach the different parts 

 of the plant where the food is assimilated. 



QUESTIONS 



1. Why does blotting paper absorb ink better than writing 

 paper ? 



2. What is the function of a lamp wick? 



3. How do we prove that air is matter? 



4. What property of matter enables us to blow soap bubbles? 



5. What are the laws of capillarity? 



6. Why do feathers fall slowly ? 



7. What force causes water to flow in streams and rivers ? 



8. If the earth rotated much faster than it does, what effect 

 would it have upon the weight of objects at the equator? At the 

 poles ? 



9. What force causes a postage stamp to cling to an envelope? 



10. Why does thick molasses flow more slowly than water? 



11. If some oil, water, and mercury were placed in a rotating 

 vessel, how would they arrange themselves with reference to 

 distance from the center of the vessel? 



.12. How does air affect the flight of a thrown ball? 



13. Are projectiles and rifle balls affected by the wind? How? 



14. What kind of energy is possessed by the water behind a 

 dam? 



15. What makes a pendulum move back and forth? Why 

 does a short pendulum move faster than a longer one ? 



16. What is the reason an automobile skids? Why are chains 

 used on automobile wheels ? 



17. Which is greater, the cohesive force between water par- 

 ticles or the adhesive force between water and glass ? How may 

 you determine the truth of your answer? 



18. Why is a golf ball so elastic? * . 



