Wetting phenomena refer to how liquids spread or adhere to solid surfaces. This behavior is influenced by the balance between adhesive forces (between the liquid and the solid) and cohesive forces (within the liquid itself). A key concept in wetting is the contact angle, which measures how well a liquid wets a surface; smaller angles indicate better wetting. Different materials exhibit varying wetting properties. For instance, hydrophobic surfaces repel water, leading to larger contact angles, while hydrophilic surfaces attract water, resulting in smaller angles. Understanding wetting phenomena is essential in fields like coatings, inks, and biomedical applications.