Adhesion

Dew drops adhering to a spider web
Adhesion of a frog on a wet vertical glass surface.
Concave meniscus is caused due to adhesion.
IUPAC definition

Process of attachment of a substance to the surface of another substance.

Note 1: Adhesion requires energy that can come from chemical and/or physical
linkages, the latter being reversible when enough energy is applied.

Note 2: In biology, adhesion reflects the behavior of cells shortly after contact
to the surface.

Note 3: In surgery, adhesion is used when two tissues fuse unexpectedly.[1]

Adhesion is the tendency of dissimilar particles or surfaces to cling to one another. (Cohesion refers to the tendency of similar or identical particles and surfaces to cling to one another.)

The forces that cause adhesion and cohesion can be divided into several types. The intermolecular forces responsible for the function of various kinds of stickers and sticky tape fall into the categories of chemical adhesion, dispersive adhesion, and diffusive adhesion. In addition to the cumulative magnitudes of these intermolecular forces, there are also certain emergent mechanical effects.

  1. ^ Vert, Michel; Doi, Yoshiharu; Hellwich, Karl-Heinz; Hess, Michael; Hodge, Philip; Kubisa, Przemyslaw; Rinaudo, Marguerite; Schué, François (2012). "Terminology for biorelated polymers and applications (IUPAC Recommendations 2012)" (PDF). Pure and Applied Chemistry. 84 (2): 377–410. doi:10.1351/PAC-REC-10-12-04. S2CID 98107080. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2015-03-19. Retrieved 2013-07-16.