Imagine you are volunteering in a Year 1 classroom. The students recently learned about the water cycle. One student raises her hand and asks, "I heard that elements like carbon can cycle too. How does carbon cycle? Is it like how water cycles?" How would you explain the cycling of carbon to this Year 1 class? Keep in mind that they are in Year 1 and are therefore ~6-7 years of age!

answer:

the water molecules are transferred from the roots to the stem or top parts of the tall tree because of important properties of water which are adhesion, cohesion and capillary action. cohesion is the property of water molecules keeps water molecules in a combined state by sharing of bonds between them at the atomic level. adhesion allows the interaction of water molecules with other substances or substrate. adhesion will cause the attachment of water molecules to the wall of the vessel (xylem) of the plant. capillary action occurs when the adhesive force to the vessel wall is stronger than the cohesive force between water molecules. capillary action mimics the transfer of water from a tube or pipe. in this way water utilizes its property to transfer water from down to top level of the plant.