Matric potential arises due to:
Go with C — Binding of water to surfaces. Under WATER POTENTIAL, this is the standard explanation you’d use in class: it names the real driver or definition, while the rest are nearby but wrong. Not these: A) Solute dissolution; B) Hydrostatic pressure; D) Gravity. When two options sound similar, choose the one that matches the textbook definition most tightly.
Ref: Best CSIR NET Plant Physiology books: Master Unit 6 with Taiz & Zeiger and Salisbury & Ross. Crack Part C experimental questions with top textbooks.