2.2.4 Cohesive and Adhesive Properties

Importance of Water's Adhesion

Attraction to charged or polar surfaces (e.g. plastic) allows water to flow in opposition of gravitational forces (capillary action) like in a straw. And then: This capillary action is necessary to allow water to be transported up plant stems via a transpiration stream.

Why is water Adhesive ?

Because it will form intermolecular associations with polar and charged molecules.

Why is water cohesive ?

It's strongly cohesive as it will form hydrogen bonds

Adhesion

ability of dissimilar molecules to stick together

Importance of Water's cohesion

it creates its surface tension: -hydrogen bonding between water molecules allows the liquid to resist low levels of external force (surface tension) Which means that: high surface tension of water makes it sufficiently dense for certain smaller organisms to move along its surface.

Cohesion

the ability of like molecules to stick together