Book 7, Question 13
Why Does Water Drip From Leaves After Rain?
Leaves catch rain like tiny umbrellas, and they hold on to a lot of water. After the rain stops, the stored water slowly slides off in drips. It is like a second rain, coming from the tree.
From the book
Page from A Million Whys Book 7
More fun facts
- Rain caught by leaves and branches is called interception.
- Trees in cities catch rain on their leaves and help reduce stormwater runoff, a U.S. Geological Survey study found.
- On a lotus leaf, a raindrop lands like a pancake and then springs back into a ball.
- Engineers at MIT made a surface inspired by nasturtium leaves and butterfly wings that makes water bounce off even faster.
- NASA made a lotus-leaf-like coating that keeps dust, liquids and ice from sticking.
- Rainforests get the most rain of any biome, from about 79 to 394 inches a year.
Sources: U.S. Geological Survey, BBC, NASA, NASA Science
Questions kids ask
What is rain interception?
When rain is caught by leaves and branches before it reaches the ground.
Why does water bead up on some leaves?
Some leaves, like lotus leaves, have surfaces that repel water so drops spring back into balls.