HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Elrick, D. E. Articles by Miller, E. E. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Elrick, D. E. Articles by Miller, E. E. Agricola Articles by Elrick, D. E. Articles by Miller, E. E.

Tests of Capillary Flow Scaling¹

ABSTRACT

Four types of experiments testing predicted scaling relations are reported.

In the first two, different liquids are compared in the same medium. The first compares hysteresis loops—liquid content vs. tension. The second compares conductivities at a certain tension.

The third and fourth experiments concern entire flow systems; they compare systems constructed from different (but "similar") media; only one liquid being used. The third experiment measures flow into the top of a dry column. The fourth measures drainage from a saturated column under a combination of tension and gravity.

The results of all four experiments are in excellent agreement with theory when the media are clean sands. The hysteresis experiment was also run for media having increasing colloidal fractions. In the latter cases, the results show definite departures from theory which increase with the amount of colloid.

¹ Contribution from the Departments of Soils and Physics, University of Wisconsin, Madison.

² Assistant Professor of Physics, Ontario Agriculture College, Guelph; Graduate Assistant in Physics, University of Wisconsin, Madison; Associate Professor of Physics and Soils, University of Wisconsin, respectively.

Received for publication January 2, 1959. Accepted for publication March 3, 1959.