Capillary Rise Calculator
Height a liquid climbs in a fine tube from surface tension, contact angle and bore.
Water rises ~30 mm in a 1 mm tube — the same physics drives moisture wicking in concrete and soil (and manometer reading errors).
Formula
Capillary Rise Calculator is a free capillary rise for process, mechanical and water engineers — instant, accurate and 100% client-side, with the governing formula and reference shown next to the result so the number can be defended, not just quoted.
About Capillary Rise Calculator
Height a liquid climbs in a fine tube from surface tension, contact angle and bore. The calculation implements h = 4·σ·cos θ / (ρ·g·d) (de Gennes, Capillarity and Wetting Phenomena). Water rises ~30 mm in a 1 mm tube — the same physics drives moisture wicking in concrete and soil (and manometer reading errors).
How to use Capillary Rise Calculator
- 1Enter Surface tension σ in mN/m.
- 2Enter Contact angle in deg (Water on clean glass ≈ 0°; mercury ≈ 140°).
- 3Enter Liquid density in kg/m³.
- 4Enter Tube inner diameter in mm.
- 5Read Capillary rise instantly — no submit button needed.
- 6Need US units? Flip the SI/Imperial toggle and every field converts.
Why use Capillary Rise Calculator?
- ✓Implements the standard formula — h = 4·σ·cos θ / (ρ·g·d)
- ✓Reference cited on-page: de Gennes, Capillarity and Wetting Phenomena
- ✓One-click SI ⇄ Imperial toggle — values convert in place, physics stays in SI
- ✓Live worked example: the substitution recomputes from your numbers
- ✓Runs entirely in your browser — nothing uploaded, free forever
Frequently asked questions
What formula does the Capillary Rise Calculator use?+
It computes h = 4·σ·cos θ / (ρ·g·d), per de Gennes, Capillarity and Wetting Phenomena. The formula is displayed under the result along with a worked example substituted with your own inputs.
What should I keep in mind when using this calculator?+
Water rises ~30 mm in a 1 mm tube — the same physics drives moisture wicking in concrete and soil (and manometer reading errors).
Does this work for any fluid?+
Yes — density and viscosity are inputs (with common fluids suggested in the field hints), so the same physics applies to water, oils, gases and process fluids. Compute always runs in SI internally, so unit mix-ups can't corrupt the result.
Is the Capillary Rise Calculator free to use?+
Yes — completely free, no sign-up, no limits. It runs client-side in your browser, so inputs stay private and results are instant even on slow connections.
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