Absorb Adsorb

[Miss Wiggle]

for ages i just thought people were mis spelling absorb. But it's a different thing isn't it? what's the difference between the two?

 

[FcF]

http/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Absorption_%28chemistry%29

 

[linda1503]

Absorb is a widely used word meaning “to drink in, to soak up,â€￾ both literally and figuratively.
Adsorb is a specialized technical term, meaning only “to collect a condensed gas or liquid on a surface.â€￾

That what they mean according to one web site I found.

 

[Bignose]

In engineering terms, we usually write adsorption when the adsorbant changes phase; for example consider a liquid medciation leaving the liquid water phase and bonding to activated carbon -- a solid phase. The medicinal chemical changes phase from liquid to solid. Whereas absorbtion the absorbant remains the same phase, like water being absorbed by a sponge. The water is still liquid water, just in the matrix of the sponge. It isn't the completely technical definiton of the two words (the wiki article does a pretty decent job), but the engineering use is usually pretty right.

 

[Miss Wiggle]

In engineering terms, we usually write adsorption when the adsorbant changes phase; for example consider a liquid medciation leaving the liquid water phase and bonding to activated carbon -- a solid phase. The medicinal chemical changes phase from liquid to solid. Whereas absorbtion the absorbant remains the same phase, like water being absorbed by a sponge. The water is still liquid water, just in the matrix of the sponge. It isn't the completely technical definiton of the two words (the wiki article does a pretty decent job), but the engineering use is usually pretty right.

aaaaaahhhhh now i understand! thanks

does adsorb refer specifically from the change from water to solid phase or is it just between any two different states?

 

[Bignose]

Any change in state. Activated carbon is used in some cleaning of exhaust for example, that'd be gas to solid. It is rare, but there are some solid to liquid adsorbtions, some gas to liquid, etc. It is the phase change that makes the 'b' a 'd'.

 

[Miss Wiggle]

cool, thanks bignose