Adhesion

Definition

The attraction of water molecules to other substances, driven by the attraction between water’s charged ends and charged or polar groups on surfaces.

Adhesion lets water molecules spread across heat exchanger tubes and stay close enough for energy to be exchanged through conduction. It is one of two defining behaviors produced by hydrogen bonds, captured in the rule that adhesion connects water to surfaces. Without adhesion water could not maintain the proximity that conduction demands.

Related concepts

Cohesion · Conduction · Polarity

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Part of The Blueprint of Water · 🧪 chemistry