Adhesion And Cohesion Difference

Here is the comparison of adhesion and cohesion :

Property	Adhesion	Cohesion
Definition	Adhesion refers to the force of attraction between different substances, such as water and glass.	Cohesion refers to the force of attraction between identical substances, like water molecules.
Surface Interaction	Adhesion causes a liquid to spread across the surface of a solid due to attractive forces.	Cohesion leads to the formation of droplets as liquid molecules are more attracted to each other than to the surrounding air.
Effect on Meniscus	Adhesive forces pull the liquid up along the walls of a container forming a concave meniscus.	Cohesive forces result in a convex meniscus when the liquid molecules prefer to stay together.
Capillary Action	Adhesion between the liquid and the container wall causes the liquid to climb up the wall in a phenomenon known as capillary action.	Cohesive forces can oppose this rise if the cohesive forces within the liquid are stronger.
Applications	Important in technologies involving bonding, like glues and paints, and biological systems like the adhesion of cells to tissues.	Crucial in phenomena such as water transport in plants and the bundling of similar molecules.
Examples	A water droplet spreading on a paper towel demonstrates adhesion.	Water droplets forming on a smooth surface, like a waxed car, showcase cohesion.

Adhesion and Cohesion

Adhesion and cohesion tell us how substances interact at the molecular level. Adhesion refers to the attractive force between molecules of different substances. It allows substances to cling to different materials while cohesion is the attractive force between molecules of the same substance. It keeps molecules together within the substance. In this article, we will learn the differences between Adhesion And Cohesion in detail.