Answer
There are two main properties of water that allow it to move up a tree:
1. Osmosis is the movement of water from an area of high concentration to low concentration. This means that because there is more water in the roots of the tree than in the upper parts, water will flow upward.
2. Hydrogen bonding and capillary action: Hydrogen bonding results from the slightly positive hydrogen atoms and the slightly negative oxygen atom. This means that a strong bond will occur with the water molecules. As some water moves up the tree, more will continue up with it.
Work Step by Step
Water's cohesion allows it to pull itself up against gravity from roots to leaves in a tree. Water evaporates out of the leaves and pulls water upwards like a chain.
