Factors affecting the potential energy of water
- Matric Force:
- Adhesion or the attraction of water to soil solids (matrix) provides matric force, which is responsible for the adsorption and capillarity, significantly reduces the energy state of water near soil particles.
- Osmotic Force:
- The attraction of water to ions and other solutes which results in osmotic forces tend to reduce the energy state of water in the soil solution.
- Gravity force:
- The gravitational force which acts on soil water always pulls water downward. The energy state of soil water at higher elevation in soil profile is always higher that of water at some lower elevation that differences in energy level causes water to flow downward.