Surface Tension

Cohesion
Cohesion, phenomenon of intermolecular forces holding particles of a substance together.
Cohesion differs from adhesion in being the force of attraction between adjacent particles within the
same body; adhesion is the interaction between the surfaces of different bodies. The force of
cohesion in gases can be observed in the liquefaction (condensation) of a gas, which is the result of
a number of molecules being pressed together to produce forces of attraction high enough to give a
liquid structure.
Cohesion in liquids is reflected in the surface tension caused by the unbalanced inward pull on the
surface molecules, and also in the transformation of a liquid into a solid state when the molecules
are brought sufficiently close together. Cohesion in solids depends on the pattern of distribution of
atoms, molecules, and ions, which in turn depends on the state of equilibrium (or lack of it) of the
atomic particles. In many organic compounds, which form molecular crystals, for example, the
atoms are bound strongly into molecules, but the molecules are bound weakly to each other.

Adhesion
Adhesion, attraction between the surfaces of two bodies. The term is sometimes used to denote
the tendency of two adjacent surfaces, which may be of different chemical compositions, to cling to
each other, whereas cohesion is used to refer to the attraction between portions of a single body.
For example, if a sheet of glass is lowered into water and withdrawn, some water will cling to the
glass (adhesion) but the rest will be pulled back into the main body of water (cohesion).
The force of attraction is attributed to electromagnetic interactions produced by fluctuations in the
distribution of electrons in the molecules of the facing surfaces. The distance between the molecules
of the facing surfaces is a determining factor in the amount of force exerted. A surface that may
appear smooth to the naked eye actually may be too rough to hold its molecules close enough to a
facing surface to produce an electromagnetic bond. Gauge blocks, pieces of metal used for taking
accurate measurements, have such smooth surfaces that their facing surfaces can be made to stick
to each other by twisting them together.
In the human body, when tissues or organs that are normally separated unite or grow together,
the process is called adhesion. This abnormal occurrence may come about after inflammation or
during healing after a surgical operation.

Surface Tension
Surface Tension, condition existing at the free surface of a liquid, resembling the properties of an
elastic skin under tension. The tension is the result of intermolecular forces exerting an unbalanced
inward pull on the individual surface molecules; this is reflected in the considerable curvature at
those edges where the liquid is in contact with the wall of a vessel. More specifically, the tension is
the force per unit length of any straight line on the liquid surface that the surface layers on the
opposite sides of the line exert upon each other.
The tendency of any liquid surface is to become as small as possible as a result of this tension, as
in the case of mercury, which forms an almost round ball when a small quantity is placed on a
horizontal surface. The near-perfect spherical shape of a soap bubble, which is the result of the
distribution of tension on the thin film of soap, is another example of this force; surface tension
alone can support a needle placed horizontally on a water surface. Surface tension is important at
zero gravity, as in space flight: Liquids cannot be stored in open containers because they run up the
vessel walls.