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Why does paper tear easily when wet?

Why is it easier to tear a wet paper than a dry one?

  • What happens to the cohesive force existing between atoms of solid paper when it becomes wet?

  • Answer:

    Nice question. Paper consists of a network of cellulose fibers. Google "images: structure of paper" for some pretty images. The fibers adhere to one another partly due to hydrogen bonds. Adding water to the paper allows some of the interfiber bonds to be replaced with bonds to water molecules instead - so some of the interfiber bonds are broken up. Thus the material tears more easily when thouroughly wet than when dry.

David Kahana at Quora Visit the source

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I think that another way of looking at this is that the water lubricates the fibres so just as it is easier to slip on a wet pavement than on a dry one, it is easier for the fibres to slip past each other. We can often un-knot a knot by wetting it because of this effect.http://www.jstor.org/stable/53066?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents  may help

Alfred Dominic Vella

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