Final answer:
Adhesion is the term that describes when water sticks to another substance due to intermolecular forces. If adhesion is stronger than cohesion, water spreads out; otherwise, it forms beads. Cohesion is water's tendency to stick to itself, evident in droplets or water staying above the rim of a glass.
Step-by-step explanation:
The term that describes when water sticks to another substance is called adhesion. Adhesion happens due to the intermolecular forces that draw a liquid towards another substance’s surface. If the adhesive forces between water and another substance are stronger than the cohesive forces within the water, the water will spread out to maximize contact with that substance. This can be seen when water forms a concave meniscus in a glass capillary tube, indicating that it is wetting the glass and hence, exhibits adhesion. Conversely, if the cohesive forces are stronger, water will bead up and not spread, which is often observed on waxy or hydrophobic surfaces. Cohesion is another significant property of water, which is the tendency of water molecules to stick to each other, seen when water forms droplets or stays above a glass without spilling over.