Adhesion is the tendency of dissimilar particles or surfaces to cling to one another. (Cohesion refers to the tendency of similar or identical particles and surfaces to cling to one another.)
The forces that cause adhesion and cohesion can be divided into several types. The intermolecular forces responsible for the function of various kinds of stickers and sticky tape fall into the categories of chemical adhesion, dispersive adhesion, and diffusive adhesion. In addition to the cumulative magnitudes of these intermolecular forces, there are also certain emergent mechanical effects.
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