The physical property predicting the direction in which water will flow, governed by solute concentration and applied pressure.
Refers to the difference between the activity of water molecules in pure distilled water at atmospheric pressure and 30°C (standard conditions), and the activity of water molecules in any other system. The activity of these water molecules may be greater (positive) or less (negative) than the activity of the water molecules under standard conditions.
The pressure gradient that induces the flow of water, particularly with reference to plant water uptake from the soil, comprising the net effects of suction, solutes and matric forces.
The relative ability of water molecules to do work by interacting with each other.
The potential energy per unit mass of water with reference to pure water at zero potential. The water potential Ï„ is made up of several components, where Ï„ is the component due to gravity is the matrix potential that arises from the attraction of the soil matrix for water and water molecules for each other, Ï„ is the pressure potential that is the ratio of the hydrostatic or pneumatic pressure to the density of water, and Ï„ is the osmotic potential that is a driving force for water movement when solute movement is restrained with a semipermeable membrane
Water potential is the tendency of water to move from one place to another. It is typically measured in units of atmospheric pressure: pascals or pounds force per square inch or bars or dynes per square centimeter. It is a measure of the ability of a solution to absorb water by osmosis.
