Question

What is imbibition?

Answer 1

• Imbibition is process of diffusion where the water is absorbed by the colloids of the solid substance and increase in their volume. For example when the dry wood or stem of a tree is soaked in water the colloids present in the wood absorb the water and the volume of the wood increases which was used by the ancient man for splitting stones and rocks.
• Also the germination of the seeds that takes place is due to imbibition where the water is absorbed by the seed and it helps them emerge out of the soil to germinate into a plant.