What term means the attraction between molecules of the same substance?

• A. Cohesion
• B. Adhesion
• C. Surface Tension
• D. Capillary Action

Answer: (A)

Cohesion is the attraction between molecules of the same substance. In water, for instance, hydrogen bonds pull water molecules toward one another, which explains why water beads up into droplets and why liquids have surface tension. Adhesion, by contrast, is the attraction between unlike substances, such as water molecules sticking to a glass surface. Surface tension is a property that results from cohesive forces at the surface of a liquid, not the name of the attraction itself. Capillary action involves both cohesion and adhesion to move a liquid through narrow spaces. So the term that specifically means the attraction between molecules of the same substance is cohesion.