Cohesion

Cohesion is the attraction between like molecules that holds a material together. It differs from adhesion, which is attraction between unlike substances.

Intermolecular force: An attractive or repulsive interaction between molecules that does not involve forming or breaking covalent bonds. Cohesion arises from intermolecular attractions among molecules of the same substance.
Capillary action: The movement of a liquid through narrow spaces due to surface forces and pressure differences. Cohesion helps transmit motion through a liquid column, alongside adhesion to the surrounding surface.
Adhesion: The attraction between molecules of different substances. It draws a liquid toward other surfaces, unlike cohesion among molecules of the same substance.
Molecule: A group of atoms held together by chemical bonds that behaves as a distinct unit. Cohesion describes attractions among molecules, rather than the bonds within each one.
Van der Waals force: A broad set of intermolecular attractions arising from permanent or temporary electric dipoles. These attractions contribute to cohesion in substances without strong permanent molecular dipoles.
Xylem: The vascular tissue in plants that transports water and dissolved minerals from roots toward shoots. Cohesion helps keep water columns continuous as they rise through xylem.
Surface energy: The excess free energy associated with creating or maintaining a material's surface. It is a surface-level quantity related to, but distinct from, bulk cohesive attraction.
Phase (matter): A physically distinct state of matter with uniform properties throughout a region. Cohesion helps stabilize condensed phases such as liquids and solids.
Hydrogen bond: An attraction involving hydrogen bonded to an electronegative atom and another electronegative atom. Hydrogen bonding gives water unusually strong cohesion for a small molecule.
Cohesion-tension theory: An explanation of water transport in plants in which evaporation creates tension transmitted through cohesive water columns. It applies water's cohesion to explain long-distance transport without a mechanical pump.

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