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Why does paper tear easily when wet?

Why is it EASIER TO TEAR A WET PAPER than a dry one?GREAT QUESTION! Just give it a serious try!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  • Someone has also asked why does a porous material like fabric become darker when wet. Answer any of the questions.

  • Answer:

    Tearing a paper involves overcoming the cohesive force between the cellulose fibres (of which paper is made). In the case of dry paper this force is high and hence tearing it is not very easy. However, the cohesive force that is of electrostatic origin becomes weakened in the presence of water. This is akin to the way table salt (sodium chloride) dissolves in water due the weakening of the electrostatic attraction between the positively and negatively charged ions. In the case of paper, the effect becomes easily perceptible as paper is hydrophilic and absorbs water. Once dipped in water, the water molecules can easily flow into the spaces between the fibres, weakening the cohesive force between them and making them susceptible to easy tearing.

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WET PAPER IS A SOFTER TISSUE THAN DRY FIBER

freakymaster2000

thats a beautifful question.i just "answer" so i can track the real answers

mageros

well, big pieces of paper are harder to tear than little ones, right? so , if the pores in a piece of paper get bigger, they make the paper bigger and also the pore enlarge. that's why it's easier to tear a wet piece of paper.

CSIandoutisdersfan

I would guess that the water molocules that are now mixed in with the paper would make the paper less dense. Thus, making it easier to tear. Am I close?----I looked at the answers below---those who just googled it and copied and pasted...man, that's just cheating---I think he was playing a game....weren't you?

White_Rabbit

because the substance that holds the paper fiber together gets saturated and loses its hold- thats why the ends of wet torn paper looks fuzzy, because instead of the fibers being torn, they are just pulling apart. If you wet it too much, it will just fall apart without being torn. As for porous material, it is because when it is wet it is holding water, which fills in the pores and absorbs light.

ProZack

duh its softer wet

slimshorty93

you have released the bond between fibers and your actually pulling these fibers apart rather then tearing through them.

rockbase

Paper is made from wood pulp water and a mild adhesive. The adhesive is water based and when moistened looses some of the adhesive properties.

mypublicident

Fiber saturation.

zelo

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