Why is tape sticky?
Stick it to me!
The reason tape is so sticky is that the sticky side of it contains a product called "adhesive."
Adhesive is different from glue. Glue is only able to be sticky and hold things together when it dries and hardens. Adhesive, on the other hand, is already in its sticky state when you first pull it from the roll of tape!
Different kinds of tape use different kinds of adhesive, depending on what the tape needs to hold together. In many cases, tape adhesive is able to stick thanks to tiny bubble-like air pockets! Did you think tape was smooth and flat? It might look that way, but if you studied it under a microscope, you might see that it actually has ridges and bumps! When tape is placed on an object, those bubbles and the adhesive around them bind in a suction-like way, and hold together!!
Most tape adhesive today is made by chemicals created by scientists, although naturally sticky things like resin and rubber have been used too!
by Mya Kagan (Whyzz writer)
