Question

When some wax is rubbed on a cloth, it becomes waterproof. Explain.

Answer 1

A liquid wets a surface when the angle of contact of the liquid with the surface is small or zero. Due to its fibrous nature, cloth produces capillary action when in contact with water. This makes clothes have very small contact angles with water. When wax is rubbed over cloth, the water does not wet the cloth because wax has a high contact angle with water.