How are cohesion and adhesion related to surface tension?

The ability of a water surface to resist breaking is referred to as surface tension when discussing a compound like water.

A liquid's molecules will gravitate toward one another; adhesion is the molecular attraction between unlike molecules, and cohesiveness is the molecular attraction between like molecules.

The strongest correlation between surface tension and cohesion can be seen in the attraction between individual molecules of water in a pool.

Surface tension is the result of cohesive forces between liquid molecules at the surface; adhesion can also contribute to surface tension by drawing liquid molecules to the surface of a solid. Hence, cohesion and adhesion both play a part in determining the surface tension of a liquid. Adhesion is defined as the attraction between molecules of the same substance, whereas cohesion is the attraction between molecules of different substances.