Adhesion and cohesion are both about attractive forces between molecules, but they act between different kinds of partners.

Core difference

  • Cohesion : attraction between molecules of the same substance (water–water).
  • Adhesion : attraction between molecules of different substances (water–glass, water–leaf).

Think of it like this: cohesion is “molecules sticking to their friends,” while adhesion is “molecules sticking to other materials.”

Simple examples

  • Cohesion examples
    • Water droplets forming beads, because water molecules pull each other together.
* Surface tension that lets small insects walk on water.
  • Adhesion examples
    • Water climbing up the sides of a glass and forming a meniscus.
* Water spreading on a leaf or clinging to a window.

Side‑by‑side in one line

  • If water is sticking to water , that is cohesion.
  • If water is sticking to something else , that is adhesion.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.