Water potential

Water potential is like a magnet for water. You know how magnets can make things stick together? Well, water potential can make water move around.

Imagine you have a cup of water with a straw in it. The top of the straw is closed so no air can get in. When you suck on the straw, the water moves up the straw and into your mouth. This happens because your mouth has lower air pressure than the inside of the straw.

The same thing happens with water potential. It is the force that makes water move from one place to another. Water always moves from an area of higher water potential to an area of lower water potential, kind of like how a ball rolls downhill. This movement is called osmosis.

There are many things that affect water potential, like the amount of water already present, how much pressure there is, and the amount of dissolved substances (like salt) in the water.

So, to sum it up, water potential is a force that makes water move around. It's like a magnet for water that can pull it from one place to another.