Why do sponges absorb water?
Show answer & explanation
Answer: Tiny holes fill with water
Sponge material attracts water — Wrong. Some sponge materials do attract water (hydrophilic), but absorption mainly happens because of the porous structure full of holes.
Tiny holes fill with water ✓ — Correct! Sponges are porous—full of tiny interconnected holes. Water fills these spaces through capillary action (water's tendency to move into narrow spaces). Surface tension and adhesion pull water molecules into the gaps. That's why sponges can hold many times their weight in water!
Air pushes water into sponge — Wrong. Air doesn't push water in—in fact, air gets pushed out as water enters. Water fills the spaces due to capillary action and surface tension.