Why does glue stick?
Glue sticks because it creeps into tiny bumps and holes, then holds on tight.
Pip’s answer
- Glue sticks because it creeps into tiny bumps and holes, then holds on tight.
- Up close, paper looks bumpy, like tiny hills and valleys.
- Wet glue flows into the bumps, then it dries and gets hard.
- Hehe, tiny bits of glue even pull on the paper bits, like little hugs!
For grown-ups
Glue works in two ways: liquid glue flows into tiny bumps and pores in surfaces and hardens there, locking them together mechanically, and glue molecules are attracted to the molecules of the surfaces, an effect called adhesion. Most glue gets strong as it dries or cures.
Ask your child: Why do you think glue needs time to dry before it holds?
More questions kids ask
- 🧲Why do magnets stick?
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- 🧼Why does soap make bubbles?
- 🍎Why do things fall down?
- 🫧Why are bubbles round?
- 🧊Why does ice melt?
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