The process of binding or sticking to a surface is called what?

The process of binding or sticking to a surface is called what?

• A. Absorption
• B. Adsorbent
• C. Adsorption
• D. Desorption

Answer: (C)

Adsorption is the process where atoms, ions, or molecules cling to a surface, forming a thin layer at the interface. It’s a surface phenomenon, meaning the substance stays on the exterior of the material rather than entering its interior, which is what happens in absorption. The surface has sites that attract particles through physical forces or chemical bonds, causing them to stick; the material that does the sticking is called an adsorbent. If those particles later leave the surface, that’s desorption. A common example is activated charcoal adsorbing impurities from water or air. In this question, the described sticking to a surface is precisely adsorption.

Adsorption is the process where atoms, ions, or molecules cling to a surface, forming a thin layer at the interface. It’s a surface phenomenon, meaning the substance stays on the exterior of the material rather than entering its interior, which is what happens in absorption. The surface has sites that attract particles through physical forces or chemical bonds, causing them to stick; the material that does the sticking is called an adsorbent. If those particles later leave the surface, that’s desorption. A common example is activated charcoal adsorbing impurities from water or air. In this question, the described sticking to a surface is precisely adsorption.