you know that surface tension is related to the cohesive properties of water.
Water particles may also be attracted to particles in other substances. the force of attraction between unlike particles is called adhesion. when water comes in contact with another substance, there is a tug of war between the forces of cohesion and adhesion. You can figure out which force won by observing what happens to the water.
1.place a clean new penny on a paper towel. add distilled water, one drop at a time, to the penny how many drops can you add before the water runs off the penny ?
2. clean and dry the penny. Add a few drops of dish soap to distilled water in the cup how many drops of water can you add to the penny now before it overflows ?
3 what caused the water to mound on the penny rather than flowing off ? why did this change when soap was added to the water ?