is closely related to surface tension. It is the tendency of a liquid to rise spontaneously in a small tube. In the case of a liquid like water, high surface tension tends to make water "wet" glass in a thin film. Polar water molecules are also attracted to the polar silicon dioxide units in glass. The combination of these forces pulls the film of water onto the walls of small glass tubes, and the water molecules which hang together move up into the tube a short distance.

Viscosity is the resistance to flow that a substance possesses. Related to the strength of intermolecular forces, viscosity is most easily observed in liquids like oils which, while generally non-polar, consist of long chain molecules with considerable dispersion forces. Water has respectable viscosity but the effect of added hydrogen bonding can be seen with glycerol which has three -OH groups on a short carbon skeleton.