Write a paragraph explaining how adhesion, cohesion, and capillary action all enable water to go from the roots to the top of a tall tree.

Answer:

Water moves from the roots to the top of a tall tree through the combined processes of cohesion, adhesion, and capillary action. Because water molecules are polar, they form hydrogen bonds with one another; this cohesion allows water to stay together in a continuous column. Through adhesion, water molecules also stick to the walls of the xylem vessels in the tree. Capillary action occurs as these forces work together to pull the water upward against gravity. As water evaporates from the leaves through transpiration, the cohesive chain of water molecules is pulled all the way up from the roots to replace it.