adhezió

Adhezió is a term originating from the Latin word "adhaerere," meaning to stick or cling. In physics and chemistry, it refers to the tendency of dissimilar particles or surfaces to cling to one another. This phenomenon is distinct from cohesion, which describes the attraction between like particles. Adhezió arises from intermolecular forces, such as van der Waals forces, hydrogen bonding, or electrostatic interactions, that are stronger between different substances than within each substance.

The strength of adhezió depends on several factors, including the nature of the surfaces in contact, the presence of any intervening medium, and the applied pressure. For example, water droplets form beads on a waxy surface due to weak adhezió between water molecules and the wax, while they spread on a clean glass surface where adhezió is stronger. This principle is widely applied in everyday life and industrial processes, such as in adhesives, paints, and the bonding of different materials. Understanding adhezió is crucial in fields ranging from materials science and engineering to biology, where it plays a role in cell adhesion and tissue formation.