Florida Biology EOC Practice Test

What term describes the attraction between two like substances?

1. Adhesion

2. Cohesion

3. Diffusion

4. Fusion

The correct answer is: Cohesion

The term that describes the attraction between two like substances is cohesion. This phenomenon occurs at the molecular level, where molecules of the same substance stick together due to intermolecular forces, such as hydrogen bonding or Van der Waals forces. For example, in water, cohesion is responsible for the surface tension that allows small insects to walk on its surface and is crucial for the movement of water molecules in plants through processes such as capillary action. In contrast, adhesion refers to the attraction between different substances. This means that if two different materials, such as water and glass, were interacting, the attraction would be categorized as adhesion. Diffusion pertains to the movement of particles from an area of higher concentration to an area of lower concentration, while fusion typically describes the process of melting or the joining of substances to form a larger whole. Thus, understanding the distinction between these terms helps clarify the correct application of cohesion in the context of similar substances interacting with one another.