Final answer:
Clothes sticking together when taken out of a dryer is known as static cling, a result of static electricity, which is an electromagnetic force caused by electron transfer between clothes. The force holding atoms together is the electric force. Fabric softeners neutralize fabric charges and make fabrics softer through electrostatic attraction and chemistry.
Step-by-step explanation:
The phenomenon you're describing where clothes stick together after being taken out of the dryer is known as static cling. This occurs due to static electricity, which is a type of electromagnetic force. As clothes tumble together in the dryer, friction causes electrons to be transferred from one piece of clothing to another, resulting in some clothes having a positive charge and others a negative charge. These opposite charges attract each other, causing the clothes to cling. Notably, the force that holds an atom together is the electric force, not to be confused with static cling.
Fabric softeners work by depositing chemical compounds on the surface of fabrics. These compounds carry an electrical charge that neutralizes the charge on the fabric fibers, and their long chains impart a softer feel. The process involves both electrostatic attraction and the chemistry of cationic softeners.