Final Answer:
Intermolecular hydrogen bonding in water promotes cohesion, leading to high surface tension and droplet formation. It also enables adhesion to other surfaces, facilitating capillary action and interactions with different materials.
Step-by-step explanation:
Intermolecular hydrogen bonding plays a crucial role in both the cohesion and adhesion properties of water molecules. Cohesion refers to the attraction between molecules of the same substance. In the case of water, the oxygen atom is more electronegative than the hydrogen atoms, creating a partial negative charge near the oxygen and partial positive charges near the hydrogens.
The positively charged hydrogen atoms of one water molecule are attracted to the negatively charged oxygen atoms of neighboring water molecules through hydrogen bondingThis cohesive force between water molecules gives water its high surface tension and allows water to form droplets, beading on surfaces, and exhibit capillary action.
Adhesion is the attraction between molecules of different substances. Water molecules can adhere to other polar or charged substances due to their ability to form hydrogen bonds.For example, water can adhere to the surfaces of materials like glass, soil particles, or plant tissues. This adhesion is essential in capillary action, where water can move against gravity in narrow spaces, such as in the xylem vessels of plants.