======Celery Capillary Action======


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**Alternative titles:** Color Changing Celery
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====Summary====                   
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====Procedure====  
  - Gather a celery stalk with leaves, 2 tall clear glasses, water, red and blue food colouring, and a sharp kitchen knife.
  - Cut a thin slice off the base of the celery to freshly open the xylem tubes.
  - Make a vertical slit about 5 cm up the middle of the stalk so the base splits into two prongs.
  - Fill two glasses halfway with cold water; tint one glass red and the other blue with food coloring.
  - Place one prong of the split base into the red glass and the other prong into the blue glass. Ensure the leaves remain above the rims.
  - Leave undisturbed and observe colour changes in veins and leaves after 30 minutes; for full effect, check again after several hours or overnight.
  - Examine the stalk closely. Then cut cross sections near the base and mid stalk to see dyed xylem rings and channels.




====Links==== 
Celery Capillary Action - Wild Random Videos: 
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The Color-Changing Celery Experiment! - SciShow Kids: 
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📄 Capillary Action - Science World: [[https://www.scienceworld.ca/resource/capillary-action/]]\\

📄 An Experiment In Capillary Action – Celery Science - Emmymade: [[https://www.emmymade.com/an-experiment-in-capillary-action-celery-science/]]\\



====Variations====
  * Try white flowers such as carnations with split stems to feed two colours and create bicolour petals.




====Safety Precautions====
**Safety Precautions**
  * Use a sharp knife only with adult supervision; cut on a stable board with fingers clear of the blade.
  * Food coloring can stain skin and surfaces; protect the work area and clean spills promptly.
  * Do not eat plant material used as teaching specimens, especially if handled in a lab setting.
  * Wash hands after handling plant material and dyes.




====Questions to Consider====
  * How do plants get water from underground into stems and leaves? (Through xylem using capillary action and transpiration pull.)
  * Why do colors appear in specific veins first? (Xylem bundles are discrete tubes that channel water along set paths.)
  * What roles do cohesion and adhesion play in this activity? (Cohesion holds water molecules together; adhesion helps them climb tube walls.)
  * Why does a fresh cut at the base matter? (It opens clogged or crushed xylem, improving flow.)