How does a sponge hold water when it’s full of holes?
The seemingly paradoxical nature of a sponge holding water despite being full of holes can be explained by the structure and properties of the sponge material. Sponges are typically made of a porous and absorbent substance, such as cellulose or other synthetic materials.
The “holes” in a sponge are actually open spaces between the fibers or particles that make up its structure. When a sponge is dry, these empty spaces are available to absorb water. When the sponge comes into contact with water, the liquid is drawn into these open spaces through capillary action, which is the ability of a liquid to flow in narrow spaces without the assistance of external forces like gravity.
As the sponge absorbs water, the liquid is held within the open spaces between the sponge’s fibers or particles. The water is retained by capillary forces and the cohesive forces between water molecules. The sponge essentially traps the water within its structure, and this retained water can be released when pressure is applied, such as when the sponge is squeezed.
So, the key lies in the microscopic structure of the sponge, with its interconnected open spaces, allowing it to absorb and hold water despite appearing to be “full of holes.”
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Sage, how deep do you reckon the oceans would be if sponges didn’t live there ?
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Hi Mike, sorry for the delay in thereplying, for some reason this ended up in spam. You are anything but a spammer! I think this is a water displacement question. I think the ocean would go down by the removal of sponges, and even if it didn’t, the land mass would rise in comparison due to the mass of sponges on land!
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Hi Sage.
I find your prodigious output truly amazing. Interesting, encyclopaedic and hilarious 🤣
It’s always a pleasure to find something of yours in my inbox. I wish I had some more time to savour the pieces and reply like for like.
I am currently working in North Queensland- 2,000km from home but the good news is I have been dumped from a project where the client department saw no further use for me and I’ve been assigned to a new project where it may be possible to work from home online.
One door shuts, etc 😁
It’s the monsoon season now – ridiculously hot and humid. Rains 3-4 times per day so I’ve been doing what old tropical farts do – on the weekends – drinking beer, hanging in air conditioned spaces reading, watching Netflix and sleeping a lot.
I’m regarding it as preseason retirement training 😄
I hope this finds you well and prospering.
Kind regards,
Emmjay .
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Hi Mike,
I have one major advantage over you …. I’m mostly retired. I have a passion for writing and nonsense and this is my perfect vehicle.
Your comments make my “work” worthwhile. Thank you.
The Sage
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An excellent question and potential riddle.
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Thank you Robert
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